Introducing the 'Gregorio' Sugar Skull

COVID-19 put a damper on all of us hoping to see our family over the past two years. It separated us from those we grew up with, who raised us, and those who we always wished we saw a little more often. This summer, my family — the Delgados — were able to finally have a reunion in my dad's backyard in Salem, Oregon. It was a rather large gathering for us, with 22 all enjoying a barbecue under sunny Willamette Valley skies. 

My dad's brothers and sisters were all in town, with one coming in from Idaho and another from California. The siblings don't get to see each other all that often, especially as they themselves have become grandparents and their time split as their family tree's roots continue to diverge. Each time they are together, whether it be Christmas, a wedding, or a reunion, they take the same photo. It's the photo you see below, with all of them lined up in the order they were born.

My dad has these photos, taken over the years, on the walls of his office. It's a good reminder that even though the Delgados have all made their way north after growing up in Southern California in the '50s and '60s, they'll always be together in some way. 

The Sugar Skull series is a celebration of their generation. The first iteration — Marcos — was in honor of my dad Mark. The same color as his 1957 GMC, it was the mark I had been searching for but couldn't find after losing my Jones Sports Birdie mark in 2019. 

Now the second edition in the series is out. This time, I've gone with a coral base layer and a candle on top for the youngest brother, Greg.

The Sugar Skull - Gregorio mark is a tribute to what my uncle has brought to my life. He's always quick with a joke, happy to help, and the smile on his face you see in the photo above is the smile that he wears most the time. It's the light of the party, and that's why his calavera had to have a candle aflame on top.

I'm excited to release the rest of the series throughout 2022, with three more siblings to go. Aunt Roberta is next up, and if you want to collect all five you better scoop them up now — there's no promising these will all always be available.

Here's hoping you love the mark as much as I enjoyed making something in tribute to my family. Until next time.