Description about the painting:
This painting is about Day of the Dead, a Mexican Holiday which focuses on family and friends gatherings to remember their loved ones, or to give respect for those who have died. Celebration like this do happen at other places. The celebration takes place at around October 31 thru November 2nd. The traditions usually connect with flowers, decorated paper mache skulls, framed pictures of the deceased ones, and the favorite foods and drinks and sometimes a visit to the graves with these gifts. In place of 'Day of the Dead', I take out the last letter 'd' from Dea(d), and put a letter 'f' for the Deaf. 'Day of the Deaf' —to remember famous Deaf people, and to honor them.

Here in this painting, there is George Veditz with his champion chess that he loved to play and with his glasses on his skull. George Veditz died on March 12, 1937.

Another is Dorothy Miles in her own cubby hole with her checkered coat. This is her number 152 cubby hole at that time when she worked with Deaf children in England. There is a pen and a note with lists of poems that she wrote and performed. She loved to write and there is always a pen and paper with her. Dorothy Miles died on January 30, 1993.

There is Morris Broderson, a famous Deaf artist who had passed away this year on January 4, 2011. He loved to paint, especially with watercolor. He would paint hares sometimes and had a hare statue in his studio.

Then there is John T. Williams. His skull looks down as if there are people looking up to him and they see his handcarved totem. John was a Deaf Native American Carver and Artist who lived in Washington State. Unfortunately he was shot and killed by a Seattle police officer, because he was carrying his carving knife and did not hear. He passed away on August 30, 2010.