Jose V. Blanco is a National Artist Nominee renowned for his exuberant paintings that captures what it is to be a Filipino. He was a leading painter in his town and the Philippines, with paintings that celebrate the culture, history and traditions of his beloved country. Father of the Family of Painters, he graced seven children who are artists in their own rights, namely: Glenn, Noel, Michael, Joy, Jan, Gay, and Peter Paul. Through the years, developed his well-defined insight into the world, the everyday routine remarkably captured in the most brilliant of colors, with clarity; authenticity on the Filipino experience that their family have lovingly depicted.
Humble beginnings
Born on March 19, 1932 in Angono, Rizal his father was that of a humble fisherman and mother, a friendly sari sari store owner. Jose V. Blanco nicknamed "Pitok Bunggan" from a young age showed an unusual excellence in drawing with crayons and painting with watercolor. His father, however, discouraged this, and preferred that his son to help him in his livelihood of fishing.
Childhood
Jose "Pitok" Blanco is second of seven children, six boys and one girl. Natural to the family, especially that to "Pitok" is his artistic gift and discipline, which traces back to an uncle of his mother, Pedro Piñon, an artist of the late 19th century. Like most artists of that period, Piñon produced many pieces of religious art, such as altar-pieces or commonly known as retablo, and even more so, exquisite sculptures of santo. Recurrent although from Piñon's time to the contemporary time of Pitok, the art scene was young and was not given much notice.
Blanco, now with the support of both his parents, had his studies at the University of Santo Tomas to pursue his passion in art. Blanco's Family however, lacked the finance to support an artistic career, so Pitok frequented fishing with his father at night and depended on the generosity of the lake Laguna de Bay to suffice his bus fare and necessities for the following day. Blanco had the tutelage of various artists such as The Triumvirate of Filipino Modern art including his Ninong, and National Artist Botong Francisco, Galo Ocampo, National Artist Victorio Edades, as well as Garcia Llamas, Celis, Bonifacio Cristobal among many others, and he accordingly excelled in his education, although in the latter part of his career, as all artists do, had develop his distinct, and subjectively superior approach in art. Graduated in 1955 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Advertising; UST and awarded First prize Graduation Thesis, Jose V. Blanco fresh with his degree, for three years went through a struggle of uncertain employment.
Creative prerequisite
In 1969, Blanco from art director then supervisor, would be further promoted at the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson and then realized that in order to devote more time to his own art must move forward, but with a sacrifice of resigning from his advertising job. In 1971, he had his first one-man show at the Manila Hilton Art Gallery, and with the initial success of the exhibit had him brave to leave his job in the advertising agency, and venture off an uncertain future. Subsequently, in two years, he had two one-man shows in succession at the Galerie Blue. The following years then paved way for the success: various awards, notably the "Sanggunian Bayan" which gave him recognition from his whole town of upbringing, vast numbers of travel opportunities locally and abroad, and a gifted family of tour de force in art.
