artsbyedmar
Chelsea Anne De LeonThe Quiet Courage of Showing Up
Photo By: artsbyedmar
Some artists can tell you the exact day they became an artist. For Edmar S. Lapuz, better known as artsbyedmar, it wasn't a single moment. It was a collection of small ones.
A poster-making contest in elementary school. A few Top 3 finishes. Prize money that quietly whispered, "Maybe you can do this." Family members who never stopped cheering him on. Paintings made after class. Countless hours of learning through trial, error, and curiosity.
None of it happened overnight. And perhaps that's exactly what makes his story feel so familiar.
"I didn't always win,"
Edmar recalls when talking about the art contests he joined as a child.
"But those small achievements encouraged me to keep going."
That simple idea, keep going, has quietly followed him ever since.
Today, many people recognize Edmar for his delicate watercolor florals, nature, ocean, and food. Soft strokes have become his signature, but these weren't where his story began.
Photo By: artsbyedmar
Photo By: artsbyedmar
Back in Grade 10, he picked up oil pastels and painted landscapes. As the years passed, curiosity led him somewhere new each time. Graphite. Watercolor. Gouache. Acrylics. Oil paints. Brush pens. Colored pencils. Calligraphy. And most recently, digital illustration.
He didn't attend art school. Instead, he became his own teacher.
"I became interested in exploring different mediums... lately, I have been developing my skills and style in digital art."
Like many self-taught artists, his education came from observation, experimentation, and the willingness to begin again.
Photos By: artsbyedmar
Photo By: artsbyedmar
His paintings were inspired by artists he admired online, but rather than stopping at imitation, he slowly found his own visual language through years of consistent practice. Today, those compositions have become unmistakably his.
The internet often makes artistic careers look effortless.
A reel goes viral.
A brand reaches out.
Collectors arrive.
But Edmar smiles at that illusion.
"This journey didn't start as smoothly as it may have for other artists you see online."
Instead, he built his community little by little.
Sharing his work.
Making reels.
Learning trends.
Connecting with fellow artists.
Sending his work into the world, even when it felt small.
It wasn't glamour that built his audience.
It was consistency.
Photo By: artsbyedmar
Photo By: artsbyedmar
Like many independent artists, creativity also had to become practical.
Art materials aren't free.
Bills still arrive.
Dreams need funding.
Today, commissions help support both his life and his practice. Beyond original paintings, he creates hand-painted bookmarks, art prints, postcards, T-shirts featuring his own illustrations, and other pieces through his small business.
One project holds a particularly special place in his heart.
His hand-painted bookmarks eventually found their way into cafés around Manila through his longtime partnership with CraftyLabPH. More than introducing his work to new audiences, they helped him through college.
"They also helped me financially during my college years. Through our partnership, I was able to pay for many of my school expenses while continuing to do what I love."
Sometimes success doesn't arrive as a grand exhibition.
Sometimes it arrives one bookmark at a time.
Of course, there were bigger moments too.
A Hirono painting unexpectedly went viral on Instagram and eventually found its way to a collector in Mexico.
Seeing his artwork travel across the world became one of those surreal reminders that something painted in a quiet corner of Tarlac could eventually belong to someone thousands of miles away.
Yet among all the milestones he mentioned, one answer carried a different kind of warmth.
His collaboration with Telapapel.
"When Telapapel first reached out to me through Instagram, I honestly thought you wanted to buy one of the artworks I had for sale."
Instead, he was invited to create artwork that would become part of a handmade journal collection.
Photo By: artsbyedmar
At the time, he was juggling practice teaching, lesson plans, presentations, and the many responsibilities that come with finishing an Education degree. Creating three illustrations felt almost impossible.
Fortunately, the collaboration became exactly what every creative hopes for.
Trust.
"They gave me enough time to plan, design, and illustrate the notebook covers... that meant a lot to me."
Even more meaningful was the freedom to simply create.
"You reminded me to just be myself and express my own artistic style."
Rather than chasing perfection, he found himself enjoying the process.
When asked what keeps him creating on difficult days, his answer wasn't about endless motivation.
It was about honesty.
"There are moments when my art materials collect dust because I haven't touched them for weeks or even months."
Instead of forcing inspiration, he rests.
Then he slowly returns.
"Little by little, I pick myself up and start creating again, one step at a time."
Photo By: artsbyedmar
It feels like advice many artists quietly need to hear.
Not every season has to bloom.
Edmar also speaks openly about dreaming beyond today's work.
Photo By: artsbyedmar
He's currently saving for a better phone, not as a luxury, but as another creative tool. Better videos mean better storytelling, stronger content, and more opportunities to continue building the career he's always imagined.
Alongside prayer, he believes in doing the work.
"I believe that prayers and hard work are a great combination."
That balance appears throughout his journey.
Dream boldly.
Paint consistently.
Rest when needed.
Begin again.
Photo By: artsbyedmar
Perhaps the biggest lesson this collaboration left him with wasn't about watercolor or composition at all.
"I believe people don't buy art for its aesthetics alone. They invest in the story, the journey, and the person who created it."
Photos By: artsbyedmar
Maybe that's why his illustrations feel so inviting.
They're painted by someone who understands that every brushstroke carries a little piece of the person behind it.
And now, those stories continue their journey inside handmade notebooks, waiting for someone else to begin writing their own.
About the Artist
Edmar S. Lapuz, known online as artsbyedmar, is a self-taught visual artist from Tarlac whose work is best recognized for its expressive watercolor florals and gentle, nature-inspired compositions. Through years of self-learning and experimentation across different mediums, he has developed a distinctive style that reflects both technical curiosity and quiet storytelling.
Beyond creating original paintings, Edmar is also a small business owner, illustrator, and content creator who believes that art grows through consistency, authenticity, and community. His collaboration with Telapapel marks his first notebook collection, where his illustrations find a new home as companions to stories yet to be written, carrying with them the same warmth, sincerity, and hope that inspire his own artistic journey.
