Dia de los Muertos Skulls

I have always been fascinated by Mexican Catholicism.  I find it rich and beautiful, a glorious blend of the native pagan beliefs and traditional Catholicism.  The imagery and tradition move me in a way that I have not experienced with any other aspect of Christianity.  Not the Sistine Chapel, nor Byzantine murals, nor the countless other Christian art & artifacts get my blood pumping like the bejeweled, brightly colored images from Catholicism south of the border.
The celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead or All Souls Day as it is otherwise known)  has always been one of my favorites.  I enjoy the idea of honoring and remembering those friends and family that have gone before us.  I am also captivated by both the Christian and the pagan aspects dating back to Aztec celebrations honoring ancestors and the "Lady of the Dead" the goddess Mictecacihuatl.  The flowers, offerings, paper banners and boisterous celebration is the way I feel we should all look upon those we've loved and lost, not with despair, but in celebration of the love they have given us and the life that they led.

Sometimes I feel like I am coopting the beliefs of others for my own amusement.  Having had no real religious upbringing I am equally fascinated by the philosophies and imagery of all world religions and I try to treat them with respect and love when using said imagery in my work.  Sometimes though a little cheeky humor creeps in, but I think that most people everywhere take themselves a bit more seriously than they should.
All this is leading to the fact that I found paper mache skulls at Michael's (already discounted and it was only the 5th of October!  What is the world coming to?) so I bought an armload and started painting.  I have to say I really enjoyed myself, it was fun to just jump in and let the images and colors flow.  My only regret is that I didn't consider what I was going to paint more, I am not much of a planner.  Traditional artist poo-poo such methods and I see the value in planning, but it just takes the excitement and inspiration out of it for me.  I think if I had stuck to a common theme they may have turned out better, but I wanted each one to be distinctive.  Hopefully the next round will be a bit more polished.