On Día de los Muertos, I’m sharing Death, an original assemblage I made in 2011 and just listed in my Etsy shop. The piece reflects on mortality, memory, and acceptance. It’s a smaller artwork meant to be reminder to enjoy each moment while we are here and at the same time remember those that have come before us. The tiny skull is almost a comically accurate little piece that looks like it could belong to a tiny human.
Death, 2011. Original assemblage by Hoshi Hana.
Making Space for Art
Since retiring, I’ve been sorting through materials from my 25 years of teaching, organizing my studio, and rediscovering artwork I set aside while teaching. The process is helping me shape a daily creative routine and make room for new work.
I’m also building an educational resource business and a print on demand shop I started some time ago at artlovefriend.com. Along the way, I’m learning new ways to video and to photograph artwork, create listings, and clarify shipping and shop policies. These practical tasks take time, but they’re part of sharing my work. I’m realizing that the repetition over time is allowing me to get better, and faster and even though it’s been pretty frustrating having to learn so many things at once, I am making some progress. If you’d like to see, please visit artlovefriend.com as it grows. I hope to share lots of fun creative changes as it evolves. Meanwhile, making Mizuhiki jewelry has brought new energy to my studio, and I plan to offer new colorful Mizuhiki accessories and tassel earrings through my Etsy shop within the next two weeks.
Supporting the San Francisco Mime Troupe
My fundraiser for the San Francisco Mime Troupe raised $0 in its previous round! I’m grateful that the Troupe has allowed me to continue fundraising regardless and I plan to donate 50% of all sales after my expenses to support its work into next year.
A Memory Held in Brass and Wood
While assembling Death, I thought about the fact that every life may find some ending. Accepting mortality means facing it with courage and living in a way to meet that moment with honor and without regret.
The brass findings in the piece came from a San Francisco shop run by women I remember as looking like gothic faeries. I don’t know if the shop is still there, but the memory of them remains part of this artwork.
A tiny white metal skull sits inside a miniature Art Nouveau-style brass frame. Below it, a woman with a garland of stars in her hair appears to contemplate death. I attached the pieces to black-painted wood and decorated the frame with brass five-pointed stars, a symbol of death’s otherworldliness.
The assemblage includes upcycled materials, so it has small scratches and signs of wear. I value these traces of time and the connection they bring to the past.
Artwork Details
- Title: Death-Honoring Ancestors
- Artist: Hoshi Hana
- Year: 2011
- Materials: Vintage frame, wood, black acrylic paint, brass findings, and a miniature white metal skull
- Frame size: Approximately 5.25 × 7.25 inches
- Price: $75, with free US continental shipping
The signed artwork comes with a stamped certificate of authenticity on cream-colored Crane stationery.
Visit the Hoshi Hana homepage to see more of my work. Thank you for joining me as I rediscover earlier pieces, learn through running my shop, and find my rhythm as a cozy entrepreneur. <3