Profile: Ervin Limpag Website / Portfolio: Lights & shadows Running Event (part of organizing team): Hunat Sugbu: Dagan para ni Maning ———————————————————————————————— Nod if you signed up for the All Women Ultra Marathon because you were imagining you are one of the girls in the poster looking so strong and free running. Nod if you joined Hunat Sugbu: Dagan Para Ni Maning because they just have the coolest singlet and not-the-usual medal design. I admitted that it’s really the poster that made me join the All-Women Ultra Marathon last year (proof here >>). I could not help but feel dreamy looking at it back then. It can make one forget that 50KM can be a lot of pain. And, we have Ervin Limpag to thank for, or blame for luring us into signing up for some pain. I guess you will agree that it’s rare to find a running / race event poster that is nicely put; that would make us linger at it for awhile. No doubt that other posters are also made with love. Sometimes too much love that it would leave the audience dizzy. The artists/designers love their work so much, they put all their 101 favorite fonts in one marketing material that squinting our eyes is necessary just so we could find the necessary information. Ervin Limpag is Cebu International Parklane Hotel’s main graphic artist. Now
you know why Parklane’s sponsored / organized run Hunat Sugbu: Dugan Para ni Maning (06/23/2013) is one of the races with the most well-thought give-away materials, aside from it’s one of Cebu’s races to look forward to.
Hunat Sugbu 3: Dagan Para ni Maning (6/23/2013)
Aside from being an artist, he’s a runner in real life, and a good basketball player in film.Below is a film, “basketball,” where he is one of the producers. Know more about this guy, who we usually see smiling during races, on the below Q&A after the film. Let’s have a glimpse of how art and running came into his life, and how lucky he is to have a wife who does not only understand the things he is passionate, which sometimes can go beyond the normal behavior, but also gives him that comfort when these things he is passionate about can be too much. And, congrats on his upcoming 2nd baby! =)
Ervin with his princesses Photo from Mila Rose Limpag
Having an artist for a father, you were exposed at an early age to an artist’s lifestyle. How it is to be in an artist’s lifestyle? It is bitter-sweet. Being an artist means exposing yourself to the public through your works. Thus makes yourself a subject to other people’s judgment. At what age did you consciously decide that you would be an artist by profession? I didn’t plan to become an artist by profession. It was by accident with God’s grace that I stumbled into that profession. I was jobless for a year after I finished college. I got tired and decided to find a job. It so happened that a company (Islands Souvenirs) was in need of a graphic artist. I applied and the rest is history. 😀 They say that artists are weird. How weird are you? =)I think the right term to use would be “different” (unique). I call it artistry. All artists strive to establish a trademark, a style that he can call his own. I’m striving for that too. But as much as possible, I do it while living life normally as other people do. How did you end up in BA Philosophy degree back in college instead of the usual fine arts or designing courses? I was an admirer of visual arts at a very young age, but I didn’t really intend to make it a profession. When I was graduating high school, I wanted to become a priest so I studied Philisophy. When I graduated college and was about to enter Theology to become a priest, I wanted to become an artist. Who are the artists you admire, and how do they influence your work?Harvey Tolibao, a Filipino comic illustrator. He has worked for DC and Marvel Comics, and is responsible for Psylocke’s voluptuous figure. Need I say more? By just looking at his works, I am already inspired. What / who are your sources of inspiration? My family is really my inspiration. When all I see is black and white, they are there to paint it colored. Chaaaar… What are your media of choice? Among them, which is your most love?I am a graphic artist by profession which means I do almost all of my works using different computer programs. I am most comfortable using Photoshop and Corel draw. It does not mean I am expert on that, but these two are the programs that I’ve learned first and am still using until now. How does your art evolve since you started? I started with hand drawing. Actually, the first company that I’ve applied was USA Sports. I didn’t know a thing about computer so the management referred me to its sister company, Islands Souvenirs Inc. (ISI or Islands for short). ISI prefers (a little) talent over computer skill so they hire me. There I learned to render artworks using computers. My work’s demands were also a factor in honing my skills. Through it, I became interested in photography and film. Can you please share with us 3 works of yours you are most proud of?
An artwork made by Ervin while he was in Island Souvenirs
Below is a collector’s item since this is the only oil in canvass painting he made.
John Lennon. Oil on canvass. (now we know he was a fan).
He did some sculpting too. This was way back after he finished college and did’nt have a permanent job yet. This one is a combination of styropor and paper mache, painted with latex and added some glitters.
A LENTEN DECORATION FOR STO ROSARIO PARISH sculpture
Hardest question: what is your favorite color? A really hard question indeed. Hmmm, I haven’t decided on that yet. I still need more time to discern. Can you take us into the mind of an artist when working on an art / project? I wish I could tell you. Which came first — creating running event materials or the running itself? RUNNING. I am a graphic artist first but never have done materials for running until I got involved with it.If art was brought to your life by your father, how did running come into your life? I was so worried then, my work requires me to sit down and stare at my computer the whole day. I thought I should do something which could give me balance, and at that time, fun runs were getting popular and I thought I was good at it.Are there times that you were able to create or came up with an art project during runs? I can’t remember but sure I do see a lot of very good forms of art every time I run or travel which would later on become a source of inspiration or ideas. Regarding the AWUM poster, how did you come up with it? I don’t really know (hehe). The organizers told me they need a poster/logo for All Women Ultra Marathon, and I made one. I don’t know if they liked it or they just don’t have any other choices. If I were to explain the logo, it would be simple. It’s doing what you believe.What are the other running events you did some artwork?Hunat Sugbu, CUC100 and a few legacy / tribute runs. Being an artist who is also into running, isn’t it a bit hard for your partner to deal with? It was hard for her at first. I hope she is used to it already. It was hard to explain to her why I do this or that, (specially the ultra marathons) when I couldn’t honestly explain that to my own self. I couldn’t just say I run ultra marathons for health reason. We know its beyond that.Regarding Hunat Sugbu: Dagan Para ni Maning, what are your involvements with in coming up with that race? Being one of the pioneers in our running club (Parklane Runners, the ones who wear Bai Runners shirts :D) and the in-house artist, THEY SHOULD NEED ME. 😀 What Ervin “touch” can we expect from the Hunat Sugbu 3?I design all the collaterals for the run: from the logo, shirt, posters, and medals. The Print and TV advertisements are also my work. Those are my major contributions. From an artist’s point of view, who among the local male runners you think is interesting to be a model for a nude art? Female runner, if nobody would mind? =) For sure the mastuhr lingamist Willie Estepa is a very interesting subject. Do I have to explain?
Doc Willie Estepa
For a female runner… would you consider Kim Kilgroe runner/triathlete a local?
If money is not a question, what art project you wish to pursue? A Film. ————————————————-end———————————- This made me think I probably have a better chance of producing a film with Ervin than being painted by him. ————————————————————— Posted by:Rose Buenconsejo. A runner who runs after runners, and their stories, and her dream to become a NEDBANK. Promo Girl, runroo.comView her aktib race calendar >>
[…] Dare to Break These 6 Things Hunat Sugbu Triathlon Goes to Argao: More than just Swim, Bike, Run That Poster Boy for Running: Ervin Limpag HUNAT SUGBU 3, Dagan Para ni Maning: Running Event for Runners BAI (Parklane) […]
[…] And when you stumble into the endurance kind of sports like long-distance / ultra running, people cannot just fake their enthusiasm that long to endure it. Quoting Ervin Limpag’s answer about ultra running: […]
I admitted that it’s really the poster that made me join the All-Women Ultra Marathon last year (proof here >>). I could not help but feel dreamy looking at it back then. It can make one forget that 50KM can be a lot of pain. And, we have Ervin Limpag to thank for, or blame for luring us into signing up for some pain. I guess you will agree that it’s rare to find a running / race event poster that is nicely put; that would make us linger at it for awhile. No doubt that other posters are also made with love. Sometimes too much love that it would leave the audience dizzy. The artists/designers love their work so much, they put all their 101 favorite fonts in one marketing material that squinting our eyes is necessary just so we could find the necessary information. Ervin Limpag is Cebu International Parklane Hotel’s main graphic artist. Now 
Rose Buenconsejo. A runner who runs after runners, and their stories, and her dream to become a NEDBANK. Promo Girl, runroo.com View her aktib race calendar >>
[…] Dare to Break These 6 Things Hunat Sugbu Triathlon Goes to Argao: More than just Swim, Bike, Run That Poster Boy for Running: Ervin Limpag HUNAT SUGBU 3, Dagan Para ni Maning: Running Event for Runners BAI (Parklane) […]
[…] And when you stumble into the endurance kind of sports like long-distance / ultra running, people cannot just fake their enthusiasm that long to endure it. Quoting Ervin Limpag’s answer about ultra running: […]