The Team Lakay mural at the Baguio athletic bowl is finally over.
Artist and Team lakay fighter Harold Banario put on the finishing touches, the belts of Stephen Loman and Crisanto Pitpitunge, Tuesday as he cried the end of his works that started on October 27 last year.
In his Facebook wall on January 6, Banario, known as “The Artist” in the mixed martial arts world wrote: “All done! Team Lakay’ Champions Portrait gracing the wall of the athletic bowl.”
He likewise thanked coach Mark Sangiao and said the project “was delayed for quite sometime, nonetheless, it’s finally complete.”
He added: “It was my first time putting my painting technique outdoors and painting this large but I’m happy for the outcome.”
He told this writer right before Christmas that he will finish it after December 25. “No malpasen Christmas (When Christmas is over),” he told this writer when asked when he can go back to the athletic bowl for the finishing touches.
“Busy,” was all he said as he has also other commitments to attend to – some designing tasks – or even trainings which he has been remiss for at least three months.
Earlier, he said that he will be putting on the finishing touches by the 23rd or 24th, when he “will finish the work since my coughing won’t stop so I am not going out because people might think that I already have Covid-19.”
That was on December 20, when asked if he could finish the painting due to the strong rains the past days that may efface the paints. “Han met ketdi [maikkat] ta timangkenen dyay pinta (It won’t fade, since the paint has already dried up),” he said.
Banario has earlier been hampered by the restriction at the La Trinidad – Baguio border after mayor Benjamin Magalong declared such to reduce transmission of the coronavirus.
“I’ll be back painting when the restriction eases up,” he said middle of December.
Working at the mural has been done intermittently. The two months since he started doing the eight figure, 14 by 24 feet mural of his team mates from Team Lakay, he has gone at least eight times.
“I will definitely finish it soon,” said the Brave Fighting Championship fighter, who was defeated the last outing and his two fights this year was cancelled due to the pandemic.
In fact, it took him 25 days to start the project since it was launched on October 2 with Team Lakay stalwarts led by Mark Sangiao, Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Geje Eustaquio and Kevin Belingon, among others, joining La Trinidad vice mayor Roderick Awingan and city councilor Vladimir Cayabas.
Banario also placed a centipede that further increased the mural’s width to 28 feet while saying that he will put a sealant to “complete” the mural to protect it from the elements like rain and sunshine as well as from possible vandals.
“I’ll be back to place the sealant,” he added. Four figures now occupy four of the 11 walls at the dugouts and artist Gladys Labsan is looking forward to 2021 when she can finish the other figures – many, however, need yet to be identified.
The works are expected to be unveiled on January 28.
