The Flowers of Guatemala

From Lifes Rich Pageant (1986).

Amanita is the name. The flowers cover everything. This lyric was the inspiration for this sketch. 

click to enlarge

Because I didn't know a single thing about Guatemalan history, this pretty song filled my head with images of a pretty girl named after a pretty flower. Then I googled Amanita to find out what the flower looks like and instead discovered that it's a poisonous mushroom. You know, that poisonous mushroom, the red one with the white dots. Famous for its striking appearance and toxicity. 

I found it pretty hard to believe that the reference to Amanita in this song was some kind of error, so the googling continued. Then I found out that this pretty song references a pretty horrific event in Guatemalan history.

But I figured that if R.E.M. can make a pretty song about something not pretty... (well, I suppose the flowers on the graves of the Guatemalan dead can be pretty, even if the reason they're there is not) then I can still make a pretty picture.

Also... it's great to be sketching again! My wrist is on the mend (test results showed "non-specific inflammation of the tendons" so it's nothing too serious. Just need to make sure I don't overuse it again.