Ambassador Gatan’s Portrait Session with the Philippine Artists Group of Canada

By Michelle Chermaine Ramos
Mississauga-Ontario-Canada
February 28, 2014



Ambassador Leslie Gatan and Mrs. Debbie Gatan hosted a private birthday luncheon for Mrs. Gatan organized by Beth Vasquez at Tako Sushi in Mississauga on February 22, 2014 where the Philippine Artists Group of Canada joined them with their families.

The celebration continued at the LVAC gallery in Etobicoke where the couple spent the rest of the afternoon having their portraits sketched. Joining the artists for her first live sketching session was Consul General Junever Mahilum-West who became an honorary PAG member last year and impressed everyone with her artistic skills in portraiture.

PAG artists present at the lunch and portrait session were: Rolly Abarilla, Jun Afable, Teody Asuncion, Marissa Buyco Corpus, Jhun Diamante, Gene Lopos, Romi MananQuil, Omel Masalunga, Toots Quiachon, Michelle Chermaine Ramos, Mark Edison Salinas, Frank and Nelia Tonido.

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About the author Michelle Chermaine Ramos:

Michelle Chermaine Ramos is a multi-disciplinary artist in various art forms including visual arts, multimedia, jewelry design & creative writing. As a self-taught artist, she became a published cartoonist at the age of 11 and continued to draw comic strips for local magazines for the next 3 years. After trying realism, she discovered there was nothing more rewarding than taking on the challenge of painting realistic portraits and symbolic illustrations.
Torn between her love for creating things and her interest in technology, she found a middle ground and graduated with honors in New Media Design from Centennial College, Centre for Creative Communications. Her work has been exhibited in various shows & galleries in Toronto including the Royal Ontario Museum & the Japanese Canadian Cultural Center and included in the private collections of celebrities such as Juno nominee Jelleestone and legendary singer/songwriter Paul Anka.

As a jewelry designer, she brings her eclectic taste into her handmade designs for Filipino and international celebrities including Nia Vardalos, Sam Milby, Tony Gonzaga and Gerald Anderson.

Active in Toronto’s arts and culture scene, she has worked in fashion backstage as a show assistant and as a model on the runway and in photoshoots for Canadian designers. She also currently works as a broadcast show host and writer covering Filipino Canadian news in Toronto, Canada.

For more info: http://www.michellechermaine.com/