The living spirit in us all is undeniable. Perspectives, labels and significance vary among cultures and belief systems from religious to scientific but the quest to explain or grasp it is nearly universal.
The acceptance of our mortality can become morbid or celebratory.
We cannot alter our inevitable fate but we may choose how we live and allow it to heighten our appreciation of the moments we have and the people we share them with.
I have always enjoyed the art of the Dia de los Muertos holiday. This last summer when Gallery 301 in Hood River invited fellow artist Nate Chavez and I to complete our version of a traditional offering shrine a door was opened to explore the holiday and its meanings further.
After conspiring we both agreed we should both recognize and acknowledge the traditions and style of the holiday while allowing our own creativity and ideas to flow freely through it. I think we found a great balance of the two and as the holiday originates from a merging of Aztec and Christian beliefs we became the "next" step in a living tradition and art.
