What Are These?
I call these Muertitas. These mixed media wall pieces explore my artistic influences and the cycles of nature. Birth, death, and rebirth are all fascinating concepts to me, and the the art of the sugar skull is a perfect visual to help me express the joy of life and my respect of finality. They are made of wood, Styrofoam, twine, wire, glue, tape, paper maché, clay, synthetic flowers, freeze-dried leaves and plants, acrylic paint, acrylic sealants, and lots of love.
Are You Taking Comissions?
At present, I am not taking any commissions as I have a long list of Muertitas of my own to create. However, of you would like to get an update as soon as I finish my next set, sign up for my mailing list here. I promise the emails are sparse, and I don’t share your information. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Are Any Of Your First Five Muertitas Available for Purchase?
Momma, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter have been sold and taken to their new homes. Photos of them and the rest of my Muertitas are taking the form of prints, greeting cards, and iphones/laptop/ipad cases on my Society 6 store.
Do You Sculpt A Lot?
My past work is mostly acrylic and watercolor paintings focusing on character art and storytelling, so this series is brand new to me. Sculpting has always been something to enjoy, but this is the first series where I have brought anything 3-dimensional to a finish.
What Inspired These?
I love stories. LOVE them. I listen to them, read them, fictional, scientific, historic. I love them so much I am weaving my own stories in my mind daily like a chaotic loom, threads all knotting and winding. I have chosen the favorites threads in my mind and am presently writing them. Some are for children’s books, other are for graphic novels, but all are just because I want to make them. Then came an incredible group of artists and visionaries called 11:11. They were putting on a Canoga Art Walk gallery show here in Southern California, and gave the artists Styrofoam heads and encouraged them create anything that would match the show’s theme of Heads Will Roll. I decided to create Momma Muertita based on an unpublished story of mine where immortal nature spirits are hunted. The seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, were also inspired by that same storyline.
Are Your Making More?
Oh yes, and even despite how long it takes to make one. I look forward to making more. One Muertita takes days to weeks to complete since I still work full-time as a Graphic Designer. There are so many Muertitas to introduce to the world!
About The Photos
Chris Rigg of Chris Rigg Photography took them. He has done an incredible job, and created something for my sculptures which is hard to do: capture the feeling of a 3 dimensional work of art in a beautifully made photo.
What Is Your Process?
It begins with a Styrofoam head or ball and a wooden base. A wire frame is constructed which decides the length of the neck and the position of the head. Paper maché is layered until the right skeletal structure is achieved. Then begins the clay sculpting, where each face is given a different expression and directional glance. Based on what synthetic flowers I have chosen for that Muertita, the colors are painted on next, as well as onto the flowers. After sealing the paint, the final step is attaching the flowers to the head. Each new step requires a full night of drying before moving onto the next.
To watch my progress or see more of my work, I welcome you to visit my:
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