I’m honored that my painting, Awaken the Dragons is featured in the We’Moon 2024 datebook! If you’re not familiar with We’Moon, it’s a beautiful astrology calendar and datebook filled with women’s art, prose and poetry. 2024 is the year of the dragon, so it is only fitting, right? This piece was originally inspired by the Dragon Boat Races in the Portland Rose Festival, and particularly the Eye Dotting ceremony held at the beginning of the season to ‘awaken’ the dragon boats. The dragons move from slumber (yin) when the boats are stored in a garage/warehouse to active (yang) mode paddling on the river. The boats themselves are works of art, and a gift from Portland’s sister city Kaohsiung, China. On a more abstract or spiritual level this piece is also symbolic of positive transformation, resilience, life cycles and accomplishment. These are qualities inherent in the tradition of dragon boat racing and what dragons can be said to represent. Being a beader, I had previously collected Chinese eye beads and was saving them for a special piece. Eye beads were created in many cultures around the world as far back as a thousand years ago and often represent spiritual protection, luck or strength. So, I thought how perfect to embellish this piece with them! (Read more in my past post about the the Dragon Boat Art Show)
**Also- Stay tuned for a giveaway of both a 2024 We’Moon wall calendar and datebook on RPS Instagram this fall! ** Thank you We’Moon!
