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.
Love Manchester Bee Sugar Skull (Gold) Fine Art Print
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Accessorise your walls and make a bold statement with this striking special edition Love Manchester Bee Sugar Skull. Taking inspiration from the coat of arms seen above civic buildings throughout the city of Manchester, this detailed dip pen and ink drawing, set against rich, saturated golden hues, is sure to be a conversation piece in your house for many years to come. This fine art, gallery quality, archival Giclée print has been produced using bright white, textured, British made 255gsm matte paper. This reproduction fine art print is of exceptional quality and provides a stunning image, true to both the colour and detail of my original artwork. The inks used to create this print are UV stable and are light fast for approximately 80 years if this piece of art is displayed out of direct sunlight (behind glass). This print is supplied unmounted and unframed, allowing you the freedom to choose your own frame to suit your taste and decor. This print will fit into any standard frame but looks particularly great in an 11 x 14" (29.94 x 35.56cm) frame with a mount, which is also a readily available frame & mount combination size. The print is signed by me and a signed certificate of authenticity is also provided with the print. Inspired from what I see in my garden, on my field work, travels and from life experiences, I work only from photographs that I have taken or sketches that I have made in the field.
Ideal for: Anyone who loves sugar skulls, Day of the Dead, gothic icons, Mexicana, Manchester, the Manchester Bee, bees, travel, history, all things British, UK, travel, ink drawings, drawings with hidden symbols, art.
This beautiful, fine art giclee print is on 255gsm St Cuthbert's Mill (UK) white, textured paper using 10-colour water and fade resistant, professional Canon LUCIA inks. These quality inks and paper give the print a 200 year fade-free lifespan in a photo album, 80 years if displayed behind glass and 50 years if displayed without glass. Artwork should always be displayed out of direct sunlight and away from direct heat such as radiators. Art prints are supplied with a white acid free board and wrapped in a clear, protective, recyclable sleeve (polypropylene (PP5)). Art prints may be shipped gently rolled and inserted into a strong cardboard postal tube or shipped flat between sheets of thick double walled corrugated cardboard as appropriate. All art prints sold on this website are sold unmounted and unframed for you to choose the options that best suit your taste and décor. Art prints are recyclable should you fall out of love with them. How to flatten rolled art prints: keep them in their clear protective sleeve and gently unroll them, laying them on a hard, flat surface and laying heavy, flat items, such as heavy books, in an even layer on top. Do not attempt to roll them the other way because you will likely crease your print!
Approximate print sizes are: 25x35.5cm (9.84x13.98") on A3 paper, 16.7x23.6cm (6.57x9.29") on A4 paper. Art prints are printed with a white border and fit into any standard sized A3 or A4 frame. A3 sized paper is 29.7x42.0cm (11.69x16.53") and A4 paper is 21.0x29.7cm (8.27x11.69")
This item is sent via Royal Mail 1st Class or 2nd Class Signed For