Courtship.............

One of  my favorite themes revolves around the observance of Day of the Dead.

Wikipedia Definition: People go to cemeteries to be with the souls of the departed and build private altars containing the favorite foods and beverages as well as photos and memorabilia of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed.

I love the humor associated with this celebration!  The holiday embraces all of the things that I hold dear, respect for the past, respect for family both present and deceased, creativity, vibrant color, and humor.  I have often used skeletal images in my art work and since learning of D of D, I feel as though my fondness for these images has come full circle.  An upcoming art show in Ferndale will focus on my D of D art.  Some people find my work to be "creepy" or "Tim Burton-like" (an honor of course).  I'm hoping to spread the word about this annual observance, to gain understanding and to encourage others to learn about this wonderfully rich tradition.


The following are some excellent websites that will provide basic information about The Day of the Dead tradition:


http://www.dayofthedead.com/
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/articles/dead-history.html

The Learning Curve..............

With every new endeavor, there is a learning curve, right?  Well my fledgling art business has sent me a few whopping curves this summer.  Instead of frustrating me though (okay, maybe I've been a little frustrated) I'm looking at each encounter as an opportunity to grow.  Most of that isn't true but sounded like something I should be saying. 

Case in point:  I have been blessed with a small following of fans in Australia, a continent that I have longed to explore and hope to someday cross off of my bucket list.  My Australian followers are supportive and kind and wonderful.  The Australian postal system, however, not so much!!! One lovely follower ordered a piece I assembled called "The Condo".  I love this piece and was very proud to send it to her.  The problem?  The piece is 24 inches high.  Thus began my three month sojourn to the post office.  It's not that my post office is so very far away, it's just that I made the trip a total of eight times.  Each time I went, the postal worker would tell me that the postage rate was more than the last time I came.  The hoops I had to jump through were unbelievable and ended with a postage due of 783.00!!  Truly NOT worth it for my artwork!  By the time I had to return the box to my vehicle for the eighth time, I was in tears. My follower, however was not to be daunted.

She then suggested that I disassemble my piece and pack it into a smaller box (the box size, not the weight being the primary problem with the postal system).  Now I'm a nervous wreck.  Take it apart?  I had worked quite hard to ensure it's never coming apart when I initially constructed the piece.  To make  long story short, that is exactly what I did. It then packed in a much smaller container and off it went to Australia.  Four weeks later, I received an email from my customer who exclaimed it had arrived intact and was already assembled and sitting on her table.  Heavy, heavy sigh of relief!!!!!!!  Again, a huge learning curve but one I am truly grateful for having experienced :)