The Catrina face-painting tag team, Efrain Gonzalez and Laura Cerroblanco, launched their season with a party on Friday at Restaurante Lolita at Salida a Celaya #52.

It was a chance to learn a little about Dia de Los Muertos, watch the dynamic duo paint some faces, hear some fine music from Gabriela Espinosa and Sharon Itoi, enjoy a dinner prepared by Chef Fernando Guarneros, and reconnect with some old friends and make some new ones.

Mind you, Laura and Efrain are painting all the time — when she is not working as a psychologist and he is not running a Spanish-English language school.

But they both clearly love this time of year.

And not just applying makeup to faces. They do hats. They do jackets. They do dresses.

That’s Laura in one of their hand-painted originals with the bold Calavera Catrina on the front.

On Friday, Jennifer Suntken and David Repp joined Laura as model Catrinas. Laura and Efrain did the make-up in front of the 52 guests at Lolita’s. Afterward, as Gabby Espinosa and Sharon Itoi sang traditional songs, they promenaded around the restaurant.

Yes, the Day of the Dead “season” is off to a great start.