Day of the Dead

My wife put together an altar for Dia de los Muertos to commemorate her father, his parents, and her maternal grandfather.  Like most traditional Mexican altars for the holiday, it includes pictures of the deceased, liquor, and candy.  However, we neglected to pick up any of the calaveras (sugar skulls) to decorate the altar.  So I was very flattered when my spouse asked if she could use some of my miniature skeletons to adorn it.  Of course I said yes!

In addition to the skeletal drummer (above), a metal Warhammer figure, my beloved used several plastic skeletons (most holding scythes) and even a skeletal horse.  I'm flattered I was able to contribute to the altar and share in this tradition with my wife.

Speaking of Day of the Dead, last year my wife and I made a skeletal hound for my sister-in-law, who had lost her dog some months before. 

I created a frame by bending a wire coathanger with a pair of pliers, then mi esposa used air-drying modeling clay to build up the figure.  She painted it white, I painted the black lines to denote the skeleton, and she touched it up and folded the miniature flowers from tissue paper.

For more on el Dia de los Muertos, check out the Wikipedia entry on Day of the Dead.