Calaveras of Chicago

02/02/2026

"This is no longer about just sharing stories of others; it's about sharing the truth of what I'm experiencing in January 2026. It is only weeks after Renee Good, a well-meaning U.S. citizen protester, was killed. Now, we have another innocent American unjustly murdered in broad daylight; his name was Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse. What's worse is that both of these killings were committed by ICE agents to our neighbors in Minneapolis. They aren't the ones who are supposed to be doing this. Their job isn't to commit murder out in the streets; they're suppose to gather information on dangerous criminals that are undocumented immigrants and remove them. In both cases video footage shows them unjustly murdering others. No one deserves to die because they blocked a road. No one deserves to die because they protected another person from being pushed down. Those aren't reasons to be killed. The current Republican party can spin it however they want but it's not right, morally or lawfully. They can blame it on Alex having a legal concealed carry fire arm, which he never pulled out. They can blame it on him interfering with law enforcement, but every American has the right to protest. They can blame it on Renee not complying with the agents or moving her vehicle near an ICE agent, but none of these things warrant or deserve a public ex*****on. Its upsetting and angering how the government and certain news media outlets are blatantly lying to us.

At this point I don't even think it's about whether the current administration thinks it was justified. Nor do they care. No statements have been made indicating any investigation or acknowledging what the ICE agent did was wrong. ICE agents still continue to hide their faces and not wear any indentifying information or body cameras.

I don't know how to teach empathy or sympathy and why it matters. I don't know how to explain to you how and why racism is a horrible thing. I don’t know how to educate you on the fact that the color of our skin and cultural background makes us great. I don’t know how to show you why our differences can make us a better country. I don't know how to illustrate that moving to another country for a better life is brave.

For anyone reading this, please don't be ignorant of the fact that so few people in this country are native. The history of this country is rooted in immigration. We should be proud of this and not scared of it." - LooseArrow

12/21/2025

"After my breakup with my boyfriend of 6 years, I have felt a vacancy in both my heart and my identity. His soul and mine were intertwined for so long. We shared so many life experiences that shaped who I am now. Without him, I am realizing that there are blind spots in my perception of who I am as a person. A lot of what I thought made me me, was somehow connected to him. This is not a bad thing, since we are all a beautiful, messy patchwork of everyone we’ve ever met. Although, when I first truly felt that blind spot, I felt frustrated, nervous and self conscious. My confidence was low since I was questioning what felt like major parts of myself. It has felt like a reset. Shuffling through the files of my personality and seeing what feels like me, what doesn’t anymore, and what to do about the gaps left behind. Instead of feeling frustrated, I’ve decided to try and view this time in my life as a positive opportunity to learn more about myself. Even realizing that I can choose to view what feels like an identity crisis in this way, takes a lot of the pressure off.

I have always valued independence. Now I have the chance to experience what that means to me, while not being in a relationship. And it's hard. It’s hard not having your person there all the time to share your thoughts, troubles, and successes with. I see the value in being able to mentally sustain yourself and utilize other outlets and people for those needs. It’s a muscle that I am training more than ever.

I have a lot of love to give to this world, and I don’t see it ever running out. I love creating laughter, a sense of community, friendship, memories. I love the feeling of making something, tangible or not, and knowing it represents who I am. I love taking the time to appreciate the immense, complicated, breathtaking beauty of the natural world around us. Throughout most of my life, I have felt grounded in my passion for the environment. My job in ecological restoration has allowed me to develop a career based around this passion, connect with like minded people, and work to ensure healthy native ecosystems in my community. As I navigate this new territory, I find stability in knowing that my varied interests and job provide me with a space to feel joy.

I will always carry a piece of him in my heart and am so grateful for our time together. But now, I’d like to create a sharper image of who I am, on my own. I want to feel all of these feelings and not hold them back. I’ll cry when I need to, let myself grieve, reminisce, be confused. I’ll laugh and smile as much as I can, enjoying it when I do, because all feelings are temporary. I plan to give myself the love and grace I need while exploring who I am. I need to remind myself that I am learning, and will make mistakes. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the past few months, each one allowing me to figure out how to better treat others and how I want to be treated.

I don’t think we’ll ever fully know who we are in life. That’s part of what makes humans so wonderful, the fact that we change, learn, and have unique experiences that continuously shape who we are. The last thing I want to do is rush this wonderful, unending journey of understanding who I am." - Olivia Passi

Calavera 62 - When the Compass Lost Its North

11/14/2025

Always grateful for everyone who buys a metal print. I hope they are cherished for years even after I pass away.

10/24/2025

Bold Journey interviewed me and my art! Take a look and see what I've got going on lately 😁

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Christopher Lucero. Check out our conversation below. Christopher, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how th

09/24/2025

I'm glad to have met you and worked with you. Thank you for the work you do for the citizens of our neighborhoods in and around West Chicago. Thank you Karina Villa ❤️

"My dad raised me to be a combination of a humble, kind and opinionated woman. He taught me through his actions that I should never show a sense of superiority while also never allowing others to make me feel inferior. My mom and dad were always quick to help others in the community when they were in need. One example is that they opened up our family home to friends, relatives and people in need of a place to stay. Due to this upbringing I have always had a heart that is determined to help others.

It was a natural fit for me to find my career path of becoming a school social worker. I began my career in my beloved West Chicago, moved onto working for the special education cooperative in DuPage County and currently, at an elementary school in Villa Park. When I left West Chicago I made the decision to run for the board of education in district 33. I am currently in my second term and am the Vice President. While working at the special education cooperative, I provided professional development to hundreds of teachers, administrators and support staff on behavior and emotional regulation for their students and how to handle a student in crisis. I really loved doing that part of the job because I knew that those teachers would take the techniques they learned during our sessions and bring those ideas into their classrooms which would then translate to impacting students. There's a strong emphasis on education that I hold dear to my heart. After all, these kids are our future.

I continue to work at the micro level at work but I have seen the desperate need for leadership at the Macro Level. My board work is a start, but in the last two years I have realized that it is not enough. Running for state representative was a necessary next step in truly being a voice for others.

With my determined heart I have been campaigning for about a year now. The rapport I've built in my community humbles me and during this grassroots campaign I am growing support one voter at a time. My vision for when I am elected is for my office to be a place where people are constantly coming in and calling. I want to hear peoples concerns, I want to know their needs, I want to know what's happening in their community, how I can help them. I want to be seen as someone who helps others. I don't want to just be in Springfield and disconnected from the community. That wouldn't fufil me. That wouldn't be who I am." - Karina Villa, Vice President of Board of Education district 33

Calavera 25 - A Future Worth Educating

08/29/2025

"Things rarely go exactly as planned. It seems like just when you think you have it figured out, you get thrown for a loop, and in the blink of an eye, your whole life can change. Sometimes things don’t make sense, but it eventually all comes together. Detaching from the outcome is something that I am learning and growing into although I am nowhere near having it figured out.

As a child I grew up with divorced parents which was tough for me. I knew nothing different, but it was something I was very aware of. I always promised myself that when I was an adult with children, I would never put my (future) kids in a situation to be in a “broken home." I want to make it a point to mention how loving both of my parents were and still are. I don’t blame them for any of this, because I know very well that staying together isn’t always better than making the decision to seperate. Now as a single mom of two (ironic, huh?) I am having to revisit a lot of sorrow that I never truly dealt with growing up simply because I didn't realize it was there. I don’t really know why it’s there either.

It’s challenging to navigate raising healthy children as an unhealed adult, and a single parent. This dynamic constantly pushes me to wonder if I am enough, or If I can do it on my own. I often times feel like life is almost impossible, too heavy, too hard, but if I don’t, who will? No one’s coming to save me, so I have been trying to learn how to save myself. I’ve not only managed to raise my kids into happy healthy 7 and 9 year olds, become a home owner, run a business, and make my way through the corporate world, but also surround myself and my children with the most supportive group of people that love us. I’ve found solstice in my hobbies, and reached goals that seemed impossible to reach just a few years ago. Looking at my life from this perspective really makes me proud.

It really is easy to look past all of the amazing accomplishments and dwell in the difficulties of life - why is the hard stuff so loud? It seems like the challenges overpower everything else. They just show up and take over, and leave you grasping for any bit of happiness you can get your hands on. Life is unforgiving but so beautiful. The synchronicities we find along the way keep me moving - they’re little reminders from the universe that we are on the right path, or little lessons to keep on growin’. It’s really funny the way things happen. This project landed in my lap during a really low point, but it really is exactly what I needed. I am currently struggling to find the silver lining, and have been tasked with writing about how life gets better. What I am finding is that I am surrounded by an abundance of things to be grateful for.

Closing out my 30th year, I can say little girl me would absolutely admire who she’s become, single mother and all. I’d look up to how I move through life with such intense passion for the things I care about. I would love my hair and the way that I dress. I would think my work from home job is a dream. I’d admire my courage and how I’ve been able to be so brave for myself and for my children. I know that someday I will think back to age 30 and realize that everything ended up okay, that I did my best, and that was enough." - Sarah Elizabeth Hogan

Calavera 61 - Everything I carried

07/30/2025

I won 1st place and $500 😁

03/29/2025

I was at McCarty Mills again in Aurora Downtown displaying my art once again and this lovely woman took interest in this portrait. Lucky for her, she bought it and took it home ❤️

03/16/2025

"I earned the superlative of "Most Cheerful" as a freshman in high school and that was just as much of a lie, because at the time I was portraying a happy go lucky teenager who was absolutely dying on the inside. I was never the happy person everyone saw from the exterior. My journey to mental stability has been fraught with doctors, pills, diagnoses, deep dark depression, suicidal tendencies, thoughts, and attempts.

I was raised in a very conservative Christian household where the idea of being gay was about as common as getting a tattoo on your forehead that read "STUPID." I remember being in the car with my mom and her randomly looking at me and saying,'You know, all gay people go to hell, right?’ This was completely out of left field and has since stuck with me. I was not out of the closet, in fact, I was so far in I didn’t think anyone would expect me to be gay. It was hard living knowing you are someone you are not allowed to be and praying, begging and pleading with God to just make me normal. To please unburden me from the wrath of hell I faced. This truly started a downward trend for my mental health. As years passed, my mental health declined.

In college, I was kicked out of a church group because my life was 'S*x, Drugs, and Rock and Roll' according to the campus minister. At this time I was still incredibly closeted and very against drug use. What led to his decision was the fact that I had drank an alcoholic malt beverage at a party hosted by other members of the organization. Eventually I left that school, joined a fraternity at a new school and began to live a new life.

As I entered adulthood I finally came out of the closet and was living my true authentic self even against some pushback from my family. Being out and open though didn’t solve the mental health issues those years caused; it was like a broken leg that never healed and just kept getting infected. On my 30th birthday I finally sought treatment for something called Generalized Anxiety Disorder and depression. Unlike being gay, which can't be fixed, it felt good to know that my mental health crisis has a diagnosis even though it had its setbacks. The issue is if my mind goes to a dark place, my brain is stronger than any anti-depressant invented.

It took 12 years, countless thoughts of su***de, hating myself, thinking I was worthless, some actual su***de attempts, and one crazy coincidence with siri for me to again search for help. By this time I was married to a beautiful soul who showed me what good life creates. Through his help and the help of my doctor, I found a psychiatrist to help me. Instead of playing pill roulette like my past physicians, my psychiatrist listened, observed, and researched. She figured out what my mind needed to find balance and to finally heal after a lifetime of being broken. Being able to wake up with a genuine smile after a lifetime of faking it has made me the true winner of “Most Cheerful.” - Kenton Pogue

Calavera 60 - Finally Myself, Finally Free

03/02/2025

I know I don't post often enough on here about my sales or about me but I'm hoping to be a little better about that. So here's a photo of me with Maria, who was delighted to buy a print!