Day of the Dead Boxes

These Day of the Dead boxes honor people that have passed away. The subjects of the boxes are people that I have been inspired by, loved or honored. Special moments in the lives of these people are depicted in each box. I remembered my father playing horse shoes, my grandma making pies and my mother arranging flowers from her garden in boxes #2 and 3. Please enjoy!







Day of the Dead Box #2: Homage to My Mother and Grandmother
10.25 x 7.25 inches
© Grace Matthews 1999







Day of the Dead Box # 3:
My Father the Horseshoe Player, 2000
4.50” x 5” x 2.50”
Mixed media







Day of the Dead Box #4:
Women's Caucus for Art (WCA) 2000
4” x 5.50” x 2.5”
Mixed Medium







Day of the Dead Box #5:
Dracula, October 2000
10” (18.5” open) x 5.25” x 11.5”
Wood, paper, fabric, ink and other media









Day of the Dead Box # 6 :
C’Love, 2001
10.5 x 7 x 2.25 (open)
(More about C'Love at the bottom of this post)







Box 7: Valentine for the USA, 2002
6.5” x 6.5” x 6.25”
Wood Box & Mixed Media










Day of the Dead Box #8: Italo Scanga, 2003










Day of the Dead Box # 9: Nina Simone










Day of the Dead Box 10:
Johnny Carson and Andres the Giant
6.25 x 10 x 4.5








Day of the Dead Box 11: A Plan for My Skull










Day of the Dead Box 12: Rosa Parks, 2008








Day of the Dead Box 13: Ray Charles, 2008









Day of the Dead Box 14:
Martin Lurher and Coretta Scott King, 2008







Day of the Dead Box #15:
Zora Neal Hurston, 2008









Day of the Dead Box #16:
James Brown, 2008








Day of the Dead Box #17:
Georgia O'Keefe, 2008
4 x 4 x 2




    





















Box 18: Mahalia Jackson






Box 19: Maya Angelou



Box 20: Robin Williams



Box 21 Joan Rivers









Red Thumbs, 2007
13 x 9 x 5








Pink Balls: Anna's Stinky Box, 2007
12 x 6 x 3




Flower Box
5 1/4 x 5 1/4 x 7 1/2 inches




Red Spring Box, 2008
12 x 5 1/2 x 5 1/2






Unwritten Future Box




Friut Box

___________________________________________________




Memorial Boxes for Pets

Pets are part of our families and they give so much love.
Here are a few photos of pet reliquaries.





Kitty Funerary Box for Banchee





Box for Susan's Pug Pug 2009






More on my friend C'Love
C’Love's Bio
There are issues in my life that seem easier to work through by incorporating them into art. The process of creating art is therapeutic and becomes the motivation to inspire other works. The contemporary issues that I address are a way of working through to see the bigger picture and it’s effects on society. Through this process alternatives are discovered that may lead to different way of thinking. The viewers of my work are given the opportunity to seek alternatives in their lives and hopefully through this medium changes can be made that benefit both the individual and their surrounding world.

C’Love is the past president of WCA,SD, and received her masters degree from the University of California, San Diego. She completed the Commission for Arts and Cultures CORO leadership training program and has worked with San Diego’s children restoring a neighborhoods beauty and respect.-C'Love

Eulogy for C'Love
I’m missing my daily phone calls. My “sista” was a devoted friend and such a diligent communicator. I keep excepting my phone to ring with C’Love’s upbeat voice at the other end. On the phone we covered topics about life; the good news or the bad news of the day, how our latest art projects were going, details about upcoming exhibitions and events, and we would tell each other jokes. I know that many of you have heard one of her jokes, right? She had a good sense of humor and loved a good joke. When she really liked one of my jokes she would she would repeat it back to me to make sure she had it right. When she did that I would laugh until I had tears in my eyes. I was her joke coach and it was fun.

The WCA/SD was often part of our daily conversations. C’Love was so dedicated to the group. I think her passion to keep the organization vital kept her vital. One of the many things she did for the group was to start the annual WCA retreat. That first retreat was high spirited. We made art, ate well and had heated discussions. She loved that time with other artists because she was a people person. We will miss her and her spaghetti at September’s retreat.

Some nights we talked about family. I’d listen to C’Love complain about Tony (sometimes she did say nice things about you Tony!) or she would listen to me grumble about Brad. She was a good friend and a good listener. She really cared about people.

She had a wonderful energy and even when her body and health were at some of their lowest points she would go out to eat or listen to music. She felt music had the power to heal. I think that is why her Blues Women hits such a powerful chord. She had strength and drive that was ever present and it was inspiring.

We talked about food with great passion. Cookies were one of her favorites. She has a funny cookie story that Ester can share with you if you ask her. To C’Love food is sacred and beautiful. You can see images of it in her art. She was a creative cook and would share her recipes in detail. She would get very excited when she had the energy to create a new dish. That dish was always much better when she could share it with her friends. Generosity was part of her nature.

We talked about the everyday things of life. Those are the things that mattered then and now. Like C’Love these are the things we should all remember to appreciate every day.

C’Love will be missed but her memory will remain in our hearts.

C’Love was born in New York City on Nov 9, 1946 died in San Diego, July 2001.- presented on 7/22/2001 at a service in her honor Grace Matthews