Zozobra Art exhibit and festival - Zozofest 2013

Lets go burn away our worries! Please join us for Zozfest 2013 and check out the Zozobra art in Santa Fe. All this leads up to the burning of all your worries for a new start. Check out the details here:  http://burnzozobra.com/zozofest/

Here is my fourth piece for the Zozofest Art exhibit. This mixed media art quilt features the guest of honor Zozobra, embroidery fireworks, and the raw appliqué of the Gloomies that dance before the burning.

Zozbra Night in Santa Fe
(c) Sabrina Zarco 2013

Detail of Zozobra Night in Santa Fe Sabrina Zarco 2013

Detail of Zozobra Night in Santa Fe Sabrina Zarco 2013

Detail of Zozobra Night in Santa Fe Sabrina Zarco 2013

Zozobra the legend continues

Will Shuster and Zozobra

This is the artist who first created Zozobra and the legend for the city of Santa Fe,           

Will Shuster and the head of the giant marionette. To read more about Zozobra and the legend go here http://zozobra-sf2.nm-unlimited.net

Every artist their interpretation of what Zozobra looks like so here are two more of the four entires I will be exhibiting at the Zozofest Art Show in Santa Fe.

I had the itch to stich so I embroidered a portrait of Zozobra. Its a 17" x 12" piece and I added my signature bead and button border.

I havent made time to create in awhile so busy with the move and getting settled in New Mexico. As I explored the legend of Zozobra I had to get my hand into all the media I love to create with and so the collage on a big wooden Z was born.

Burning of all our worries away! Zozobra 2013

I am happy to share with you that I have several works that will be part of the Zozofest Art exhibit in Santa Fe. I will be sharing the various mediums I worked in to get ready for the exhibit. Read below for a Wikipedia definition of Zozobra the legend and the Fiesta.

Zozobra ("Old Man Gloom") is a giant marionette effigy that is built and burned every autumn during Fiestas de Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico, usually during the second week of September. As his name suggests, he embodies gloom; by burning him, people destroy the worries and troubles of the previous year in the flames. Anyone with gloom that they need to get rid of can come by the offices of the Santa Fe Reporter in the weeks leading up to the burn to drop off slips of paper with personal gloom written on them. Many people put legal papers in the gloom box as well. At the festival the papers from the gloom box are placed at Zozobra's feet to be burned alongside him.

Fiestas de Santa Fe has been held since 1712 to celebrate the Spanish retaking of the city in 1692 by Don Diego de Vargas from the Pueblo tribes who had occupied the city since the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The burning of Zozobra dates from 1924. William Howard Shuster, Jr. came up with the idea of creating the effigy, also called Old Man Gloom, and ritual burning. Zozobra means "anxiety" in Spanish. Shuster's idea was probably influenced by Mexican cartonería (papier-mâché sculpture), especially the effigies exploded during the burning of Judas that takes place on Holy Saturday or New Year's Eve, as a way of ridding oneself or one's community of evil.
Today in Santa Fe more than 50,000 people go to watch Zozobra, who stands fifty feet tall. His burning marks the start of three days of celebration that includes traditional mass at St. Francis Cathedral; a reenactment of the Entrada, when Don Diego de Vargas returned to the city; a Children's Pet Parade; and the Historical/Hysterical Parade. The Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe builds Zozobra and burns the effigy at Fort Marcy Park. The Zozobra that was burned on September 7, 2007, was certified by Guinness World Records as the largest marionet the in the world, measuring 15.21 m (49.11 feet) in height. 

Today I share my version of Zozobra. I used found objects to create him. A trip to the thrift store provided me with the basics. First a happy smiling worn out Troll doll was the base. I covered it with clay and began the transformation from happy to worn with worry. 

Then the base was created out of an old lamp shade, wooden mug tree and can. Once assembled they were spray painted white for the base. Then I went to my sewing machine and made some clothes for the affair. For the skirt I gathered worries from several folks and hand stitched them into what was once a pair of sheer curtains. Once the "worries" covered the base of the skirt I added symbolic embroidery flames. 

Zozobra wearing his "worry" garment.
Hand sculpted doll with embroidery and hand stitched "worries" into the skirt.
(c) Sabrina Zarco 2013

Detail of skirt with embedded "worries"
(c) Sabrina Zarco 2013

Detail Zozobra doll (c) Sabrina Zarco 2013

Over the next few days as we lead up to the event I will share the art quilts and paper collage on wood. Hope you enjoy and get ready to release all your worries! 

Rain in the desert

Its raining again! I have always loved the rain. Walking, dancing, playing, standing twirling under the precious liquid from the heavens. Lightening and thunder providing a soothing back drop to the smell and cool breeze. Its a special kind of healing. And as I journey through life in the desert I have a greater appreciation for the magical wet stuff. Now I am off to stand in the rain and catch some of the rare precious drops in my rain barrel.

As the seasons change...

Its been awhile but I am back now. So many things going on and moving so quickly. I had to take some time to reenergize for the next transformation. I  will begin posting updates on my art, inspirations, life's adventures and lessons, moving to the Enchanted state (physically and spiritually) and more.

Life changes whether you are ready or not. So I am holding on for this next adventure. Send prayers, good vibes and positive energy!!!Thank you, Gracias, Tlazocamati

I spent some time in meditation and making art hearts in the snow. It was under the 13th full moon of the year 2012. Here are a few for you to enjoy. Make art and beauty whenever, wherever, and with whatever is around you!

...those that came before

Dia de los muertos: celebrate, honor, and learn from those that came before us!

Dia de los muertos @ Gallery 360

 Dia de los muertos / day of the dead celebration at Galery 360, Little Rock! Gallery 360 will open its doors to the celebration at 6:00 pm November 1, 1012. I will have 6 art quitls on exhibit and an altar installation. Please join us for the fiesta!

 Different conception of death
In Mexican culture there is a philosophical acceptance of death as an integral part of the cycle of life; death is just another phase of life itself. The ancient Mexicans philosophy and religion encompasses this duality in life and nature, life and death were linked in the journey from one world to the next. Instead of fearing death, it is embraced and considered a “moving-on” to a higher level of consciousness. Again this varies and is not a blanket statement but in my observations, research, and experiences this thought has been infused in various ways and manifests in different forms throughout generations

About dia de los muertos / day of the dead

• Celebrated since before the arrival of the Conquistadors in 1500 B.C. in Mexico
• Concepts of death and afterlife existed in the Olmec, Toltec, Maya, and Aztec cultures.
• Special homage was designated to those warriors who died in battle, women who died during childbirth, children, and healers. It was believed they went to a special place where they enjoyed their afterlife. It was thought that their spirits returned to visit the living in the form of butterflies. Many celebrate the Monarch as the return of these loved ones. 
•  It is not the Mexican version of Halloween or scary or morbid; there are no images of gory dead people, ghosts, or witches. It is a festive time.
• It does not honor death or devils; the devil didn’t exist in ancient Mexico until Christianity arrived. It is not a cult and has nothing to with cults.
• Dia de los muertos is different by region of the country and by degree of urbanization in Mexico and other Latin American countries.
• It is a time for friends and family to remember those who are deceased.
• It is a time to reflect upon our lives, our heritage, our ancestors and the meaning and purpose of our own existence.
• Celebrated November 1st where children are remembered and November 2nd for adults.

Altars or personal remembrance spaces share community and personal history
Remembering friends, family, and historical individuals keeps their stories and memories alive. It provides an opportunity for those who do not know about them or their work to learn about someone significant in your life, a period in history, or tell a story of a community.

Traditional Three Levels Many Indigenous people believe in the 3 deaths. The first when the body ceases to function. Second is when the body is returned to the earth; we all are a part of nature. And the third and final death when there is no one left to remember us

Scents

• Copal incense is burned to clear the path for spirits return; its strong aroma guides the spirits home. 
• Marigolds and other flowers; Marigolds "the flower with 400 lives," were thought by the Aztec to symbolize death. It is believed that the scent of the petals forms a welcome path for the spirits to return to their altar or grave.

Tradition of salt, water, and favorite foods

• ·A glass of water to quench the thirst after the journey from the other side.

• Salt is considered the spice of life; it is provided for the dead to spice up things because the sense of taste may be lacking since they have been gone.
• Fruits, favorite foods, and beverages of the deceased are prepared for the dead to feast on the aromas. The food is placed on the altar and stories are shared as is the food.

Personal Items

• New clothing and grooming products such as soap, washcloth, comb for the dead to refresh after the long journey back. As well as a chair for resting.
• Photos and items of the one being honored. Capture the essence of the person or persons being honored; include personal items cooking utensils, tools, games, toys, sewing items and so on.

• Skeletons   By remembering the deceased each year we cheat the final death. This is the reason the skeletons are smiling.  Skeletons represent death and rebirth. They symbolize the “eternalness” of the soul or spirit of the deceased. Sugar skulls are reminders that memories are sweet!