The year of the dragon

I had been hard at work for this painting to celebration the Chinese New Year, the year of the dragon. Though often called Chinese New Year it also called the lunar New Year is celebrated by many Asian countries; it falls on a different day every year. This year the New Year is falls on the 23rd of January. This painting is combined with watercolor painting and paper cut out. The dragon on the background is cut out right on to the painting.
The dragon is the most powerful and suspicious Chinese zodiac sign, sign of authority and ambition, symbol of good fortune and sign of intense power. The Dragon is said to be a deliverer of good fortune and a master of authority. In Chinese cultures peony is symbolizes wealth. In Chinese the word vase (ping) sounds similar to peace. The gold fish on the vase symbolizes wealth and good fortune and because the word fish (yu) in Chinese sounds like abundance.
All together, this painting means wishing you abundance of wealth, health, plenty of power, peace and full of energy for the year of the dragon.
Happy New Year and may prosperity be with you all!

Watercolor and cutout 28”x20”, 2012

lost and found

Last week I discovered one of my programs in my computer was not working. After a trip to the computer guy and he proclaimed my computer has virus!
After a costly cleaning and my computer are back working again however I was rather discouraged with this sudden and unexpected expense.
Yesterday, a friend came by my studio and brought a small painting. This morning, when I checked on my email, one was from FAA about another sale.
Amazingly, the two sales add up to the same amount as my computer repair bill!

Chinese New Year 2011

Today is the Chinese New Year, the year of the rabbit. I spent the whole morning making this bunny for this special day. My bunny is made with the Starbucks holiday coffee cups.Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

Forbidden Tulips

I walk by the Canada Life Building on University and Queen West daily while going in and out of the Osgoode subway. Yesterday the sun was out and it was a beautiful spring morning there are many tulips planted around its building. I started to take out my camera and try to capture the images of the beautiful tulips.
Within ten minutes, two big uniformed securities came out and order me to stop as they are private property and photography is prohibited.
Out of defiance I just have to share the forbidden tulips with you all!

Tulips at City Hall

The other day, I was over at the city hall to use its public library and noticed there were hundred of parrot tulips planted around the square where the city hall building is. On this beautiful sunny spring morning, many of the parrot tulips are yellow with a few white ones and even fewer in purple.
Look like the gardener just has them water some of them still had water drops on the petals and it was such a stunning display. I took out my camera and start to take picture, even they were the same type of tulip but they all look different and beautiful on its own.
I must have spent close to an hour try to capture their beauty but I noticed the many passing around the city hall everyone all seem to be such a hurry not even one stop to admire them.
Maybe that’s why I am an artist and they are not.

It is good to be poor

It is good to be poor!
No worry about the price at the pump
No worry about the cost of a house.
My credit is better than yours

It is good to be poor!
With no car
Not even a bike
I am healthier than you all!

It is good to be poor!
No stocks?
No bonds?
No fear of a market crash.

It is good to be poor!
She lost millions
He lost billions
But I lost not even a dime!

It is good to be poor!
No worry for what to wear
No fancy parties to attend
No need to dress to impress.

It is good to be poor!
No need for more stuff
No need for fancy goods
I can make them with no cost!

It is good to be poor!
No worry about a mortgage
No worry about the interest rate
No need to be caged!

It is good to be poor!
No need for a cell
No need for an iPod
My mind is crystal clear.

It is good to be poor!
No need for a $5 latte
No need for a $100 steak
My waistline is smaller than yours!


It is good to be poor!
No need for your social climbers
No need for your internet scammers
My true friends last forever!

It is good to be poor!
No need for Gucci
No need for Tiffany
I can still wear cloth from my twenties.

It is good to be poor!
No need for cigarettes
No need for alcohol
My body is younger than yours!

It is good to be poor!
No rush for time
No flood of mind
I can stop to smell the flowers when I like.

It is good to be poor!
No need to slave at a job
No need to plan for retirement
I will die doing what I love
It is good to be poor!