BY JADE SNOW
“beadoodles” is an art account on social media created by Bea Dolloso around May of last year. It has gained 81 thousand likes in over a year.
She describes her process by saying that, “I guess I can’t really express how I feel through words that’s why I just draw them. I draw myself as the character in ‘beadooodles’ and it shows how I’m dealing with it or how i’m ‘suffering’ from the pain. People often ask me why my drawings are sad and it’s just how I feel most of the time.
When I first started the page, I was in a dark place and I had severe depression and drawing myself made me feel a bit better. I also add quotes sometimes if I want to say something. I gained a lot of likes, it didn’t change the way I post. I still draw what I feel and I don’t draw sad stuff just to be relatable, it’s up to the audience if they relate to it or not. But I am thankful that people can relate, it reminds me that I’m not alone and most importantly THEY’RE not alone. I also want to reach out to people who are suffering the same as me. I also want to inspire aspiring artists that they could create anything their mind wants to as long as they believe in themselves.”
Bea shared that “before deciding to share my works, I was finding my own style of art. I was inspired by artists that I follow who also have their own style like Charlie Co. I wanted to try something different from realism, so I was experimenting until I came up with the style I have today. I paint a cartoon-like character with a green nose and white dotted black hair representing me with a blank white background. I consider the green nose as a trademark of mine.
I didn’t really have any expectations except to simply post what I feel through my art. When I first started, I was in a really deep place and it helped me create a lot of works. It gained a lot of attention as I posted more, and people started sharing my works because they relate to them. I am also part of the Art Association of Bacolod and have been part of an exhibit twice at DOSE Coffee+Art.”
The influence of Bea’s father got her into art at a young age. Apart from ‘beadooodles,’ she is also into music and is part of a local band called “AND” along with Xel Gonzales, Jayem Valenciano, Bea Halipa, Althea Guancia, and Franco Mijares. They released their single on Spotify with over 8K streams.
She also does solo and performed in local big gigs, such as Buhat Paglaum, Globe Couch Fest and Negros Live. She released her first EP (extended play record) as a solo artist on Spotify with over 20K streams and with Xel Gonzales’ help in producing the songs. She has been invited to a lot of small gigs with her music comrades, mostly performed at DOSE Coffee+Art in Art District 2.
Before the pandemic, she spent most of her time at the Art District because being surrounded by art gives her comfort and now it is virtual art that is allowing her to extend the comfort she found to a virtual community.*
