If the colorful Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos)
decorations have caught your eye, here’s a craft book which will help you create
your own. The book opens with a brief
overview of the history of the holiday with roots primarily in Mexico. It’s a
day for honoring and remembering the dead, and a holiday that emphasizes
family. It’s usually celebrated on November 1 and 2, but can be observed on
other days as well.
I like looking at craft books even though I rarely attempt any
sort of craft these days. (I have a
closet full of materials for projects that I thought I would do and
haven’t. It hasn’t been a total loss,
though, as the cats have found the pipe cleaners to be the best toys ever!)
Anyway, this is a gem of a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. It not only gave me information about the
holiday but it highlighted the work of various artists.
The first chapter was on ofrendas, which are altars to
encourage the dead to visit their living families. These are often set up in homes, but can be
done in public spaces or in cemeteries.
Color photos show different styles, and then illustrate various elements
of the altar: photos of the deceased, favorite foods, candles, and so
forth. The photos showed personal
altars, altars for groups of people, and even for famous people like artist
Frida Kahlo. I especially liked that
most of these had some background information from the various artists. The next section shows how to construct a
small altar, which actually looks both nice and like something I could do. (The only iffy part is that they suggest
using a cigar box. I’m trying to
remember the last time I saw a cigar box….)
The second chapter is devoted to Calaveras, the skeletons who
play a big role in the decorations.
Again, there is an explanation of their role in the holiday as well as
information on the materials often used to construct them. There are some wonderful photos of different calaveras
in elaborate settings, and made from various materials: polymer clay, sticks, cloth, metal, and
fabric. The book has very detailed instructions for the polymer clay ones.
The rest of the book does much the same, highlighting examples
of the work as well as the artists who created them, and then supplying some
instruction. I view this book as more inspirational than instructional, though
clever people will be able to make
Mostly I just loved looking at the photos and admiring the
artistry. I also enjoyed learning more
about some of the figures, cultural aspects, beliefs, and history. I only wish it had been a coffee table type
book with larger photos but then that would have made it less useful as a craft
book.
Non-crafters could enjoy this book. Even if I never make any
of the crafts, I have already had a great deal of enjoyment from the
photos. Now I want to watch “Coco”
again—I think I’ll understand the symbolism behind the decorations more.
No comments:
Post a Comment