Sugar skulls were created by the Aztec people of Mexico to honour and celebrate the lives of deceased loved ones during their annual Day of the Dead holiday. Floral decoration, especially in the eyes, represented life and rebirth. In 2017, I created this Love Manchester special edition in my sugar skulls series; it followed the horrific events at the Manchester Arena where a terrorist bomb killed 22 people and injured many more. This, in part, is my tribute to those people who lost their lives that night and of all the people over the years who have built or fought for this great city. The mixed media sugar skull based on the globe/bees above the city’s coat of arms and on a golden yellow background as a nod to the Manchester Bee. Instead I’ve turned the sugar skull into the globe, complete with latitude and longitude lines, coordinates for Manchester and seven worker bees representing the city’s key role in the Industrial Revolution and global impact (and seven continents). The red roses of Lancashire in its eyes are a nod to the Aztec’s belief in life and rebirth, whilst the three diagonal stripes represent the three rivers of the city. My sugar skulls are drawn from a real skull (thank my biology roots for that!) and I started drawing them on the day that the brilliant actor and comedian Robin Williams passed away; his death really shook me. I had already lost my mum and drew this piece with the vintage dip pen that I inherited from her. When mum got really ill, I remember watching some of his comedy late at night with her as she waiting to take the last dose of her daily medication. It seemed appropriate to draw a sugar skull remembering the lives of two people who had a major impact in my life. However, after the terrorist bombing, I felt the urge to create this additional sugar skull to celebrate the lives of those people lost that night and also to recognise how personally Mancunians took this attack; the response was quite overwhelming. The people of Manchester came together in a way that I’ve never witnessed before; intense hurt and disbelief fuelled the infamous Mancunian attitude and brought about an incredible sense of community in order to overcome their pain in the face of adversity. I love Manchester.

Each art card is printed in the UK by an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified printing company, with a zero waste to landfill ethos, using responsibly sourced FSC medium to heavyweight smooth board and supplied with an FSC heavyweight paper envelope. Each art card is directly digitally printed (using XXXXX TYPE INKS), thereby avoiding the more traditional use of printing plates or photo chemicals. Since we usually exhibit at quite a few outdoor events, art cards you buy from us at events are wrapped in a protective plastic sleeve out of necessity to shield the card from damage by the elements. This sleeve is manufactured from thin, crystal clear polypropylene (PP5); a recyclable plastic. However, please check with your local authority to see if it is recyclable in your area. PP5 polypropylene is commonly recycled into the manufacture of automotive parts, plastic trays, shipping containers, bike racks, garden rakes, storage bins and many other common items. Cards ordered on this website may be supplied “naked” without each card being enclosed in an individual protective sleeve, but any art cards in an order will be packed in a polypropylene protective outer as a “pack” to avoid them getting marked or wet in transit in the typical British weather that we enjoy! This packaging will be kept to a minimum. Heavyweight envelopes are supplied with each card and are made from FSC paper. We usually use plain white or pearlescent white/cream envelopes. Art cards are shipped in a board backed envelope or postal box as appropriate and are not gift packaged.

A6: 10.5 x 14.8cm (4.13x5.83”)

Buy 3 Art Cards for £6

For every 3 Art Cards you purchase, you receive a £1.50 discount. You can mix and match as many different art cards as you like. Your discount will be applied on the Checkout page.