Marigolds for Los Muertos

At Whole Foods, Albany, Berkeley.

Día de los Muertos Festival

Sunday was The Unity Council Día de Los Muertos Festival in Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood.
This was the 22nd year of this festival which included altar artistic installations created by community members paying homage to los muertos. As well as live music, Ballet folklorico and Aztec dancers. There were sugar skulls and faces painted to look like skulls. Marigolds were everywhere, bright yellow-orange to guide spirits of loved ones to the celebration. – Cathy McAuliffe

Dia De Los Muertos Festival 2013

Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is based on indigenous beliefs going back thousands of years in Meso-American cultures. Today the celebrations focus on family and friends remembering those who have passed.  Micaela and I visited this year's events in Oakland's Fruitvale Village  (please see her previous post). The place was redolent of marigolds wrapped around the light poles and placed in alters. Papel picado (cut tissue papers) banners draped at the entrances of the vendors' tents. I couldn't sketch quickly enough to do the Aztec dancers justice; they were amazing as they danced in the corridor bisecting the  booths.  

Dia de los Muertos at Fruitvale Station, Oakland

We visited Dia de los muertos festival by the Fruitvale BART station. Lots of inexpensive, greasy food, cheap toys, not-so-cheap trinkets and painted skulls of all sorts including edible...our friend Sonia sketched the Aztec dancers, we both sketched some bald mannequins sporting floral headwear and a tent with plastic "papel" picados, and the crowd. With one exception, I added the crowd later.

Near the plaza-entrance from the BART station

one of the bald mannequins with magenta flowers and black veil

Low Rider Car Show at Dia de los Muertos

1948 Chevy Fleetline, drawn in ink on site, painted at home (5×8″)

At the Dia de Los Muertos celebration in East Oakland families came to celebrate and honor their loved ones who had passed. They displayed elaborate, beautiful altars filled with marigolds, fruit, religious imagery and mementos of loved ones.

I was thrilled to find a low rider car show away from the loud music and crowds where I could set up my stool and sketch.

He said he likes to draw cartoons; I  tried to get him to draw the car with me but he declined

There were the booths filled with flowers and decorated sugar skulls and skeleton-themed art of all kinds. here was music, Aztec dancing, drumming and more.

Sugar skulls, skeleton dolls and a view from above

Trying to sketch the Aztec dancers

Lots more sketches and photos from the day on my blog, JanasJournal