This painting is called "La llorona" after a Mexican legend about a woman who lost her children who drowned on a river and now wanders endlessly looking for them, they say that at times when you feel lost, wandering the streets, mourning, she will find you and cover you with her shawl, making you one of her "children".
I made this painting for a Day of The Dead exhibit at Pura Vida, a beautiful local art gallery and shop in downtown Charlotte.

I used a Masonite board and made a collage with old book pages where I drew the llorona, I added a layer of lacquer varnish to protect the collage and paint.

It ended up looking more like a bride/skeleton and kind of Victorian in style.

The Day of The Dead, also called All Saints Day, is another Catholic feast we celebrate in Mexico, on Nov 2. And if you think this blog is suddenly going all religious on you, don't worry, it stops today. Religious icons and images are embedded in Mexican culture, from Our Lady of Guadalupe to La Catrina, it's a rich culture that I had the privilege to experience growing up and as an artist I am drawn to the religious images and the meaning they have.

I have a printable of this piece available at my etsy shop!

Please dont miss this interview over at the fabulous Diahn Ott's blog, her work is really amazing, please visit her etsy shop (thank you Diahn for digging me up from the millions of etsy shops!)

Today, October 28, in the Catholic Church we celebrate the feast of St. Jude Thaddaeus, not to be mistaken for Judas Iscariot, which is the bad bad Jude, the one who betrayed Jesus.

Jude Thaddaeus is the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes, which translates to: if you have a problem, he's your man. He'll intercede for you up there with God and give you a break. And it is never a bad thing to have more people on your side rooting for you, right?

A while ago I made this portable shrine for saint Jude for Found Art Tuesday. And I made a free download that you can get and print out if you like, just to remind us that we're not alone in our troubles and that there is someone to rely on, even if we cant see them. This always gives me some kind of comfort when I'm dealing with something I wish I could control and solve, but can't. And that's what "shrines" are all about, a reminder that we're not alone.

If you want to make your own Judas shrine, you can dowload this same image I made for Found Art Tuesday on the dowloads part of this website, and here is a direct link: Judas Shrine

So what have you done all these days? I've been away doing many things, one of them, was being featured in.. *gasp* decor8!! Holly included my 2010 calendar on this year's decor8 calendar round up. There are many beautiful calendars included so you don't wanna miss it!

And, oh yea, I also made these rings with collage and epoxy resin.

I used watercolor papers to make the tiny collages and placed them on this sterling silver plated ring. Then the collage is encased in shiny resin.

I wish I had more rings to make. I thought about waiting until I sell these to order more, but I'm thinking to just get more just to make them! Next time I think I'm making tiny drawings on top of the collage (something I thought about while I was pouring the resin!)

I'm taking these rings tomorrow to Sanctuary of Davidson where they will be for sale. BUT there is one for sale only on my etsy shop! here

I finished two more paintings for Cafe Mia this weekend. (can you see me dancing righ now??!)

They had been around for too long with their Gelato sky (that I got from cutting strips of the menu) and I just couldn't decide why they weren't finished. They needed an extra something, and I found it whith a couple of old pictures I got from an Italian lady at an antiques shop. She gave me two old pictures of these young men who are standing alone, one has a field behind, the other one is standing on the steps of a house. She said the pictures were from Italy, the number 1939 is written on the back, I imagine it's meant they were taken on 1939.

I also added an old music score and handwritten antique paper.

The sky is made with the Cafe menu. The menu itself is amazing. It is close up pictures of gelato printed on shiny and thick cardstock. I cut the menu in strips and arranged it as the sky, when I was happy with the placement of the strips, I taped them with blue tape and turned them over to apply an adhesive that I got from a contractor that came to my house to fix the cabinets in my kitchen. It's called, and I'm not kidding, Sta'-Put. This can sprays a web of adhesive that makes you feel like you're Spiderman. Even if you have nothing to glue together, you should get it just to try it.

After gluing the strips down I sanded them to distress them a little. I then glued the picture and applied a lacquer coat to protect it and make it shiny.

These two paintings are to be displayed side by side and they are supposed to balance each other. I say "supposed" because I dont know how well I achieved that.

Here are some details:

I've been working on a calendar with the images made during August and September of this year, with the only exception of "December" because I just had to have Yori in the calendar. I love that image. I have the original and I think I'm keeping it. 

The calendar will fit in a cd case, I'm still working out the details.. I like looking at all the images at the same time, it gives me some perspective of the thought process I had during this project.

I'm thinking on having it available as a download and that way you can print it and cut it, what do you think? is it a good idea?

The weather has cooled down a lot around here. It is the perfect weather, actually. So please, North Carolina, if you could just stay like this for the rest of the year, please do. It's a little windy, you can smell rain in the air but it's not yet raining, leaves are turning color. And, the first sign that summer is over: Halloween decorations everywhere. I cant believe it. I even saw a day of the dead treasury in the front page of etsy today.Definitely summer is gone.

And this new drawing reflects this. You know, I've always wanted to have a hat like this, but I cant pull it off. you either have a perfect round head and a beautiful hat to hug it, or you don't.

I'm still doing the watercolor drawings even though I know the daily challenge was supposed to be only in August, but I really fell in love making these. I've made a few already in September. (It was hard to quit!) and this one is my favorite (today) so I think I'll be making a few more.

I'm also working on TWO big paintings at the same time, you know, because I like to stress out, and also at the same time, I am working on putting together a website for the gallery that is carrying my work here in NC. I volunteered because I needed that pang of panic in my day.

Ok, now I think I need some sleep!

Not much else to talk about. Only that I'm working on a painting that is making me undust the architect in me. and I'm loving it. It's been so long since I've had to use a scale to make a drawing. So fun!

It is the daily painting for the August Create A Day Project that has been such a challenge, I've been so motivated to paint everyday and to come up with interesting images and things to say.

The original is for sale at So Alive Gallery in Davidson, NC, but prints are on the making, so I'll keep you posted on that, meanwhile you can peruse my etsy shop for other prints of my watercolor illustrations that I've made available as greeting cards!, and also two new greeting cards with the images of my favorite dogs Lucas and Clyde.

Everybody knows we live in a world
Where they give bad names to beautiful things
Everybody knows we live in a world
Where we don't give beautiful things a second glance

You strong enough to be
Have you the courage to be
Have you the faith to be
Honest enough to stay
Don't have to be the same
Don't have to be this way
C'mon and sign your name
You wild enough to remain beautiful? Beautiful

There is no one else like you!