Dia De Muertos

My interest in doing this project was to learn more about my Mexican culture and the traditions that are done during the Day of The Dead. The Day of the Dead is a celebration in November of loved ones who have passed away and their journey to the after life. Mexicans believe that death is not the end, but the beginning of a new stage of life. All Saints Day (the first day of November) is the day that the people pray for the young children that have passed away. All Souls Day (the second day of November) is for everyone else that has passed away. The celebration consists of taking the recently deceased from the streets of the town to the cemetery, taking offerings to the grave. Some of the offerings during this event are the “cempasuchil” (an orange flower), toys for children, bottles of tequila, mescal, and pulque. There may also be an offering of candies such as sugar skulls. These offerings are for welcoming the deceased. Although the living eat the physical food, it is said that the dead eat the essence of the food. Another activity is dancing in colorful costumes with skull shaped and devil masks in the plaza or garden of the town. These traditions vary from town to town.
In the first piece I decided to portray the time in which the people from the town take the recently dead to the grave. Claude Monet inspired the color palette on this piece with his paintings of water lilies. The second piece is depicting All Saints’ Day. The third painting is about the dead souls that walk through the streets towards the cemetery, eating the essence of the food that is set out for them.
I now have a deeper appreciation for my culture and its traditions. In doing this project I have learned to develop my own voice in my work. I have also created a new process of working to get coherent messages through my images in oil paint.
comments and/or critiques will be greatly appreciated.