An unusual expedition set sail from San Francisco in 1926.
It was composed entirely of two women with cigarette tins full of art supplies in tow. Their destination was the South Pacific. And their mission was to document cultures in danger of disappearing.
Artist Caroline Mytinger and her partner Margaret Warner did not seem fazed by the western dismissal of Melanesians as ruthless headhunters. In fact, Mytinger often turned the phrase around, referring to the search for faces to paint as her own “headhunt.”
We travel along, not just through the Pacific but through time, as the film superimposes past and present. Its cinematographic shots are interspersed with grainy archival footage of traditional dances, art, and daily life on the islands. Westmorland’s narration dovetails with excerpts of Mytinger’s writings (as voiced by Lauren Hutton).
Elders, artisans, and family of Mytinger’s original portrait subjects share stories that give us a window into their worlds and the lives of their ancestors.
One of the artists we meet is Papua New Guinean painter Jeffry Feeger, who created a series of portraits that parallel Mytinger’s. His subjects come from the same places but are dressed in street clothes, rather than the traditional attire.
Mytinger’s portraits are like a colorful time capsule. The film is an equally vibrant exploration of the people, places, and traditions behind the paintings.
Decorating sugar skulls at CraftHack this time last year prompted me to learn more about Día de los Muertos and the handmade elements of this tradition.
Community altar in Tucson.
“Day of the Dead, or Día de los muertos, is a time for commemorating the dead, celebrating with family— both living and dead—and appreciating the cycle of life and death.”
When you lose someone you love, they don’t stop being part of your life. They remain in your heart and your memories. There’s something beautiful about recognizing and honoring this presence.
A Day of the Dead Altar via Elba Valverde.
La Ofrenda / Altar
One way to do this is by making a small altar (ofrenda) for the October 31 – November 2 celebration.
“Making a Day of the Dead Altar is about memories and traditions and the most important part is that you enjoy the process … add [your] own special touches … add the four elements, water, wind, earth and fire in some way, the picture of your beloved one, food, flowers and candles.”
Colorfully decorated sugar skulls are probably the most iconic element in Day of the Dead celebrations. You can purchase blank sugar skulls that are ready for you to personalize. Or you can use a mold to make your own from sugar, white chocolate, or (if you’re not going to eat them) plaster of Paris!
Plaster of Paris Sugar Skulls via Kathy Cano-Murillo.
When we did them at CraftHack, our friend Shanlyn led the demonstration. She brought in plain white sugar skulls she had made at home and showed us how to decorate them with frosting, sprinkles, and sanding sugar.
Shanlyn’s sugar skull demo at CraftHack.
I covered mine in slightly sparkly black sugar to give it a different look. Then I added flower sprinkles on top to give it a Frida Kahlo-esque headpiece. It didn’t come out perfectly, but it I had fun trying it out!
Sugar Skulls in Other Craft Projects
The sugar skull motif pops up all over the place – especially this time of year! A few crafty examples…
Via Berene Campbell.
Embroidery – Berene Campbell (Happy Sew Lucky) created this cute pattern that features a sugar skull with scissors behind it, like a crafters’ pirate flag!
Via Elba Valverde.
Cupcake toppers – This design is one of the free printables Elba Valverde offers on her site, Live Colorful!
Day of the Dead Planters – Regina Lord painted terra cotta pots to look like sugar skulls and then planted succulents in them. The tutorial is at Creative Kismet.
2. Paper (napkin) flowers – Using paper napkins in place of tissue paper will help the flowers hold their shape. It would be fun to experiment with different color combinations and textures! (I added some cute ones to this Party collection.)
Via Nikki Wills.
3. Mini Tissue Paper Flowers – A similar process on a much smaller scale! For these, you actually use a scalloped circle paper punch to create the “petal” shapes in the layers of tissue paper.
Via Vianney Rodriguez.
4. Marigold Margarita – Vianney Rodriguez made her own marigold-infused tequila with organic dried petals. Then she added citrus juice, cointreau, and salt around the rim.
What traditions are meaningful to you as you remember your loved ones?
Updated November 2023. Originally posted October 2017.
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After we’d parked, I asked a security guard the quickest way to Tucson Music Hall.
He replied with “Oh! Are you looking for the rap thing?”
I was wearing a long velvet dress and heels.
“No, not the rap thing…”
A few minutes later, someone asked if we were looking for the game.
Apparently, in Tucson, no one bats an eye if you decide to don formalwear to see hip hop or hockey. And we noticed several people wearing cowboy hats to the opera.
What to know about Tucson Music Hall
Tucson Music Hall is the site of Arizona Opera’s Tucson performances.
It’s located on the Tucson Convention Center campus, along with the Leo Rich Theater and the Tucson Arena (which the locals confusingly kept referring to as “TCC”).
Tucson Convention Center is not the same place as the Tucson Expo Center.
Sun Link Streetcar Stop: Congress Street/Granada Avenue (6E or 6W)
Nearby:
285 ft – Museum of Contemporary Art
.4 mi – Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block
.5 mi – Hotel Congress and Maynard’s (lodging + dining)
Performances in Tucson also have a lobby full of shopping and refreshments for sale – wine, snacks, delicious-smelling coffee, and old school west-coast favorite Thrifty ice cream!
There’s also “Shopera at the Opera” with booths of Local artists and vendors, who give part of their proceeds to support Arizona Opera.
We enjoyed seeing the inventive ways that Southern Arizona Artists’ Guild member Betty Harris found to upcycle fabric scraps and thrift store pieces. Next to her was a Barefoot Books booth with a selection of really neat-looking kids books, including the very fitting Stories from the Opera.
