Dia De Los Muertos | Day of the Dead

I took a week off after Dia de los Muertos – I love this time of year, but it really wipes me out. I spent my time off catching up on missed TV shows, reading and sleeping. One nights sleep turned out to be quite fruitful. When I woke up I had an idea for another variation on the Sacred Heart. It was finished within 24 hours. That is unusual for me, as sometimes it takes months to finish one of my Day of the Dead art ideas. This one is called “El Corazon Ardiente” (the burning heart) and it had a flaming heart pierced by a bone, in front of a tri-color background. This one has a more tribal feel to it.

One of the shows I saw on my week off was about the history of Halloween on the History Channel.They tried to incorporate Day of the Dead into their show and they got it wrong. They say that Day of the Dead is a synthesis of Halloween with Mexican cultural and pagan elements. That is untrue, Day of the Dead was originally an Aztec holiday and when they were forced to convert to Christianity by the spaniards they incorporated the elements of their holiday with Christian elements. It has nothing to do with Halloween. Although I can see why, at first glance one might think so, I am surprised that the History Channel didn’t take the time to learn a little bit more about the holiday before they misclassified it.

Casa Manos Allegres is hosting an event for us in San Antonio on October 27th. I will be there with my newest Day of the Dead illustrations. All of which will be available. The first in the series are custom matted and framed and will be available in the 11×14 and 16×20 size.

The new ones being shown off at this event are: El Casamiento (the wedding), Paseo de la Luna (moonlight ride), Bienvenido (welcome), El Buzo (the diver) and El Tecladista (the keyboardist).

It is at 418 Villita #6 in La Villita. If you want to call for directions the number to Casa Manos Allegres is (210) 224-5107, ask for Patty.

While we are showcasing our new prints we will have a limited number of all our prints available. They are all signed and numbered by the artist, me – Ladislao Loera, but if you want something special inscribed on the back of the prints I will be happy to accomodate you.

I look forward to seeing you in San Antonio.

That is the tentative title of this new work. It shows several skeleton bike riders on a moonlight ride. I used to do a ride when I lived in Houston called the Moonlight madness where you bike approximately 20 miles throughout the city at about 1 in the morning. It was incredible – I wish we had something like there here in Austin.

In October “Paseo de la Luna” will be available in my limited edition prints along with all my other Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) art. Greeting cards will be available in 2007.

Translation: Moonlight Ride

This is my newest Day of the Dead artwork, “El Buzo” (the Diver). It was actually something a customer mentioned to me in passing several months ago but I fell in love with the idea and kept mulling it over in my head until I got so tired of thinking about it I had to draw it.

My skeleton diver has his mask on, why I don’t really know – he doesn’t need it, but I figured it was like many a thing in our lives that we keep around even though we no longer need. There is some comfort in the familiar – even when the familiar is unnecessary. He is surrounded by seaweed and coral of many shapes and sizes. There is a large fish keeping him company and a school of much smaller fish in the background.

Currently the Day of the Dead Diver is not available but towards the end of summer is should be available in my limited edition prints along with all my other Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) art.

My thanks to Tony Brochado from Argentina, for your help.

Religious imagery became part of the Day of the Dead celebration when the Aztecs were forced to convert to Christianity. Wanting to hold on to their celebration they used the Christian icons to appease the Spaniards and it seems to have worked to some degree. (This is very much the same origin, for Voodoo and Santeria among other so considered lesser religions. They merged their own religions with Christianity when they were forcibly converted to Christianity..)

Originally the Christian symbology meant nothing to the Aztecs,
but as time passed these religious icons became part of the celebration and the holiday became a mixture of Aztec traditions
and Catholic imagery.

Being raised Catholic, I enjoy the religious symbolism, and the stories behind the Saints. I find a lesson in the beauty of their faith and the brutality they suffered for it.

No harm or insult is intended to anyone represented in my work. I paint what I do because it is how I see the world. Death finds us all, in the time of his own choosing. Fearing it will not make it go away. Demonizing it will not alter the fact that death always wins. I include it in my art, because it is already inluded in my life. Day of the Dead art for me is a celebration of life and the afterlife.

My Day of the Dead Madonna is available in my Day of the Dead greeting cards, altar candles, and the limited edition prints.