Patrocinio Ramirez Belo was born and raised in a small town called Calauan  in the Philippines, on November 9, 1966.  He finished a degree in  Economics from the University of the Philippines on scholarship.  From early childhood he noticed that he was very good in art. His early  works always earn accolades from almost everyone.  He eventually used his  talent to earn little money to augment the meager allowance he receives  from his parents.  He did it by accepting commissioned works from friends,  relatives and from school personnel.  At very young age he started drawing based on artworks created by great  masters like Da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Boticelli and so on.  From that  starting point he progressed by diligently studying art from books, thru  careful observations and fearless experimentation.  And in his own natural  way, he learned and honed his knowledge on basics of paintings.  He  explored the elements of paintingsfrom colors to shadows, form and  perspective, concepts and timing, and so on.  Through time his talent became more and more polished.  He initially  worked with pencil, then ballpoint, then cheap watercolors, he even used  common house paint.  Later though, as better medium became available to  him, his creativity was pushed even further, he experimented a lot with  acrylic and oils, then 3D objects.  In the end though, he came back to watercolor, for several reasons: first,  it was sort of “coming home experience” for him, back into the world of  watercolor where he always feel familiar and comforting; second, he  identifies himself with that characteristic fluidity, elusiveness and the  ability to surprise in the end (attributes that are very particular with  watercolor technique); and lastly to him the medium is a constantly  evolving challenge that promises an ever increasing reward.  As expected from his long years of experience, he also had his shares of  public attention.  He had his list of exhibitions, both group and solo.  These exhibitions took place in diverse locations from the humble local  café, to places as public as the state library.  He was also once featured  in a local TV program in Dortmund, showcasing stories of local budding  artists. Teaching also belongs to his portfolio.  He gave art classes to senior  citizens in Dortmund as a volunteer, his way of contributing something to  the community.  He also gave private art lessons to individuals who want  to learn or improve their watercolor painting for a reasonable fee.  In 2003 he opened his own studio in Dortmund, which he eventually gave up  after five years. He moved to Cologne in 2008 and since then, has been  active in the art scene. The move is part of his plan to take his career  to the next level. He is selling his works not only in Germany or Europe  but also internationally. So don’t be surprised if you find his works  hanging on some walls from someone’s home in some far away land.