Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos has always been widely celebrated within my culture and my family. Every year, we construct Ofrendas (or altars) honoring our dead and invite them to join us for one night out of the year. This tradition looks at death not as an ending to be feared or avoided, but as an occasion to be celebrated. Marigolds are well known within this tradition for their lustrous colors and bright scent. It is believed that by festooning our Ofrendas, walkways, and doorways it provides a brightly colored path for our departed to follow back home.

 "Flor de la Ofrenda" uses the image of a marigold hand-engraved into copper with an engraved sterling ring shank that hints at the floral imagery. Though simple in its design, this ring acts as a matrix that can be inked and pressed into paper leaving the design behind. "The Offered Path" is the result -- an endless series of pressed marigolds strung together that can adorn the body or an Ofrenda, leaving a clear pathway for those whom we wish to visit with again.