Day of The Dead // Creative Engagement Shoot

day-of-the-dead3371

One of my foundational beliefs as a Christian is resurrection: God brings life out of death. This expectation of new life permeates everything I do–secular and spiritual. The season of Halloween–and its many cultural interpretations–is rooted in a tradition of honoring the dead. One way that Day of the Dead does this is by animating skulls, and filling representations of death with vivid colors.

In this shoot, Ashley and I felt liberated by our appearance. The vibrant color, and the handiwork of Annamarie, the gifted artist who designed our masks, empowered us to show emotion in unconventional ways. We did not need to smile or show our teeth to show the connection we shared to one another, and to practice, in a small way, resurrection. – Chase

day-of-the-dead3381 One of the first things I remember learning to draw was a skeleton. It was what my dad instructed most of his kindergartners when he taught art in Columbus. It made sense to teach a skull because that was the foundation for learning how to draw a face and no matter the differences in faces, our skulls look the same.

Over middle school and high school, I took 5 years of Spanish. Something I really enjoyed about my Spanish classes was my teacher not only taught us about the language, but about the culture. She was from Cuba, so we learned about Cuban history, but also different Spanish-speaking ethnicities. We would also celebrate all of the Spanish-related holidays, including Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. I loved celebrating Day of the Dead. We would color sugar skulls and make paper flowers to decorate my teacher’s classroom. The background for celebrating was also something I was fascinated with. We celebrated life, instead of mourning a death. -Ashley

Read more of Ashley’s reflections HERE on her blog. day-of-the-dead3373

Floral crown by Bear Roots Floral Makeup by The Beauty Box