Day of the Dead Altar I

Creating an Altar for Day of the Dead

When I was approached last year and asked if I would be interested in creating an altar for the Day of the Dead celebration at the Palm Springs Art Museum, I jumped in with both feet.  To begin with, this historically Mexican holiday has always intrigued me,  I could not possibly refuse to represent the Artists' Council , and the opportunity to exhibit in this beautiful museum is always greeted with open arms.   Plus the positive twist on death, honoring the deceased by celebrating their lives year after year holds tremendous appeal for me.

Example of an altar

  The inviter mentioned my Indian Women Portraits and that it might be nice to utilize one of these paintings in the altar.As it turns out, the museum is hosting an exhibition titled Grass Roots: Native American Basketry of the West that opened this month.  Actual baskets woven by Native women of the Coachella Valley are included in the exhibition, including some by Guadalupe Arenas. What a synchronous  connection!  My creative thoughts began to race and explode!

Guadalupe Arenas, Snake Weaver

48 x 48

This was perfect, a bit out of the box thinking, the kind of thing I respond to.  Breaking from the traditional Mexican altar, this altar would honor a deceased basket maker, Guadalupe Arenas,  who was a member of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, local to the Coachella Valley where Palm Springs is located.  It would bring awareness to Arenas and other women of the valley who toiled endlessly to create amazingly spectacular baskets.

Guadalupe Arenas, Snake Weaver

48 x48

I decided to approach this project like a painting, focusing on composition, color, line, texture.  Guadalupe Arenas, Snake Weaver, the painting, would be the focus of the altar. Every other element of the altar would pertain to and relate to this work of art, so I began to visualize and sketch ideas.

Proposed Altar

This altar will have traditional items such as skulls, photographs, flowers, and candles, but they will not be presented in the traditional way.  This altar will follow the palette of the painting using pink, purple, blue, green, golds. Lizard and eagle shapes will be cut out of canvas, rocks and small paintings of cactus will represent the desert, snake skins will festoon and drape to symbolize the snakes woven into baskets created by Guadalupe Arenas.  The work begins:

Cutting eagle shapes from canvas.

Using the stencils used to create the painting.

Canvas lizards.

The altar is beginning to go together in my studio and this is the first of several posts that will document the creation and assembly.  It will then be broken down and reassembled in the Palm Springs Art Museum later in October where it will remain on view into November.  Mark your calendars for the museum celebration October 30 10:00 to 4:00.

Much more work to accomplish and explain which I will do as it happens.

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Summer's Last Gasp.

Yes, Fall is in the Air.

View From The SUP

12 x 12

360.

But there will be a few more days of sun and warmth.  We really will see ourselves enjoying more of those summer days because it's just too hard to let go.  Is this called Indian Summer?

As you know I spend a great deal of time out on Lake Tahoe in my rowing shell & kayak as well as on my stand up paddle board.  The rowing shell is my favorite, but I find I grab the SUP for a quick workout and different view of the lake.  How is it different?  When you are seated in the shell your focus is across the water, looking at the rocks, reflections, and mountains beyond.  When you are standing the focus is frequently down into and through the crystal clear water allowing you to see the submerged boulders.  All summer my creative energies have been haunted by this standing view, however I was too busy with commissions to devote any time turning this inspiration into a work of art.

View From The SUP

After the delivery of this last commission I placed a small canvas on the easel and began to paint.  What you see here, View From The SUP, is what transpired.  The canvas is painted around the edges which gives this small work an interesting feel.  The rocks come to life.

right edge

left edge

top edge

I would like to spend time to work on a larger canvas with this theme, but I have been invited to create an altar for Day of the Dead at the Palm Springs Art Museum,  invited into an all womens' exhibition at the La Quinta Art Museum, and have a new commission (more about all this later).  So now that fall is in the air I will still spend time gathering up inspiration while out on the lake, enjoying the few remaining days of summer weather.  Indian Summer.

View From The SUP

12 x12

360.

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Completion of a Commission

Done And Delivered

Tahoe Serenity

32" x 48"

Many hours during several weeks this canvas has been sitting on my easel going through the process of creation. With frequent trips via kayak, stand up paddle board or in my rowing shell I have continually visited the area that inspired this painting.  To be able to do this while working on the painting brings additional depth and feeling to the work. Below you will see a series of photos taken during the process.

Tahoe Serenity

32" x 48"

Original Acrylic Painting

Tahoe Serenity completed and delivered today.  A small blank canvas went up on the easel so check back to see what happens.

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