He gently strokes the brush on the blank canvas, as the paint is smeared against the white layer his imagination begins to wander. He transcends to an exceptional opportunity to inhabit the present moment and plunge into the depth of creativity as an invitation to unleash the beauty of letting his inner child lead. The shapes, lines, colors, tones, textures and everything in between are combined into an expressive patterns. Gradually the flat surface turns into sensations of volume, space, movement and light. As he does his finishing touches, his emotions peaks as he stares at the canvas. The art piece is the end of his narrative, the blank canvas, his beginning.
Charlie Boy Lunnay grew-up in a poor family with barely nothing at hand. Their household is a member of the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 02 (DSWD FO2). They reside in a make-shift house made of wood in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. His father is a construction worker who only relies on a project based income while his mother is a housewife. Considering the minimal income of his parents, the family had difficulty to make ends meet. Both his two siblings were also studying in college, making it more challenging for the family. There were days that his siblings would go to school without an allowance and on some days they don’t even have food on the table. In the midst of everything, his greatest fear came on a day in 2013. His mother past away due to an illness. The circumstance led him to drop from school to give way for his sister to go on with her studies. Despite that, Charlie does side hustle as a freelance artist doing commissioned art work; sadly, it was not enough. He felt that even he tried his best to add color to the blank canvas but fate will always portray it in black and white.
On September 2022, Charlie received Livelihood Assistance Grant (LAG) from DSWD-SLP amounting to P8,000. The opportunity kindled his will to push through with his long time idea of venturing into costume/props making. He used the grant to purchase rubber sheets, spray paints, colored pencils, water color, and other art materials. He started making cosplay costumes for rentals. He also does commission work from a cosplayer from Isabela province. In a regular basis, he accepts portrait making both from walk in and online clients. Through his ingenuity, he was able to build his portfolio. He expanded and accepted commissions for cosplayers in Metro Manila starting year 2024.
Over the years, his persistence brought him to a season of reaping. Out of his commissions, he earns an average of P15,000 per month on lean days and up to P30,000 on peak days. His hard work paid off as he steadily sustained for the needs of his family and the education of his younger siblings. He was also able to build his dream home for his family, a concrete and decent one. He no longer worries that he might again lose their home, recalling the day when their make shift house was totally burnt down; as he recalled how they lost everything on that day, even the faintest hope in his heart.
With his expertise in arts, his pieces are being exhibited during cosplay events sponsored by a supermall in the city. He is occasionally invited to judge art competitions in his alma mater and other similar events. These opportunities boost his confidence and ignite his passion to do his craft beyond the ordinary.
As his canvass turned into a real life piece, his creations embody and bring to life the character being portrayed. He finds satisfaction knowing that the pieces resonates a connection to the fictional world and his audience, evoking magic of storytelling and imagination. Just like his life, a narrative that resembles the longing to make a difference. ###Written by: Melisen A. Taquiqui/SLP Social Marketing Officer