Golden Dragon by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Day 28 of Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.

 The Dragon Dance is an important part of the Chinese New Year celebration. It is believed that the dragon represents prowess, nobility and fortune; drives out evil and brings good luck. The dragon mask and body used for the dance may be gold, green or fire red. Green symbolized great harvest; yellow symbolizes the solemn empire, gold symbolizes prosperity and red represents excitement. Some of the dragons are 100 feet long.  Wouldn't it be fun to see the parade with the dragon dancing?

Hope your new year has been prosperous so far! Mine has been...28 paintings in 28 days...nearly finished with the challenge. It has been fun!

Golden Dragon by Leada Wood ©2014

Beautiful Butterfly by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Day 25 of Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge

As I was painting this butterfly I was thinking of all the stages it must go through before it can fly. That in turn reminded me of all my beautiful grand daughters and how they are morphing into little women right before my eyes! Funny how we have to go through life stages as well in order to spread our wings and fly.

Metamorphosis is the magic that the butterfly teaches us. Changes insure our growth and we must struggle to shed the old before we can become new. A butterfly will only emerge when the conditions are favorable. The same things happen in our life... things unfold adoring to a plan. That is the force of creation...we are always changing. Hopefully for the better! Growth and change can be joyful or sometimes painful.  The butterfly reminds us of the never ending cycle of life.  It is only working through these stages that we emerge as the person we are to become.

Butterflies also symbolize joy, warmth, faith, celebration, freedom, naturalness, purity and transformation. I think that symbolizes my grand daughters as well!

Beautiful Butterfly by Leada Wood©2014

 

Black Cat, by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Day 24 of Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.

My brothers always liked firecrackers, but they scared me! I did enjoy the big ones that blew up in the sky but didn't like the small ones you had to light...I was more of a sparkler girl.

 I was discussing with boot man about doing a firecracker painting, I had in mind doing one big firecracker. Hearing him talk about his firecracker days and black cats stirred up a lot of memories of the 4th, and one thing let to another. I never liked that mean looking cat on their packages either! I was such a sissie girl.

Many historians believe that Independence Day’s most explosive form of entertainment originated in China, which continues to produce and export more fireworks than any other country in the world. It is thought that, as early as 200 B.C., the Chinese had already stumbled upon a sort of natural firecracker: They would roast bamboo, which explodes with a bang when heated due to its hollow air pockets, in order to ward off evil spirits.

At some point between 600 and 900 A.D., Chinese alchemists—perhaps hoping to discover an elixir for immortality—mixed together saltpeter (potassium nitrate, then a common kitchen seasoning), charcoal, sulfur and other ingredients, unwittingly yielding an early form of gunpowder. The Chinese began stuffing the volatile substance into bamboo shoots that were then thrown into the fire to produce a loud blast. The first fireworks were born.

The firecrackers, both then and now, are thought to have the power to fend off evil spirits and ghosts that are frightened by the loud bangs of the firecrackers. Firecrackers are used for such purposes today at most events such as births, deaths and birthdays. Chinese New Year is a particularly popular event that is celebrated with firecrackers to usher in the new year free of the evil spirits.

     Black Cat by Leada Wood copyright 2014

Lucky Bamboo by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Day 22 of Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30
days challenge. I can't believe only 8 days left! I kind of got on a roll with the Chinese New Years series. I was having fun painting traditional Chinese lucky symbols and learning a lot about their culture and traditions. I hope you have had fun along the way!

We've all heard that lucky bamboo (which of course isn't really a bamboo at all) increases feng shui, but what exactly does lucky bamboo mean? According to the Chinese tradition, the meaning of lucky bamboo is tied to how many stalks you have. Here are some of the meanings associated with different lucky bamboo arrangements:

• Two stalks represent love.
• Three stalks represent Fu (happiness), Lu (wealth), and Soh (long life).
• Five stalks represent the areas of life that represent wealth (e.g., spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, and intuitive).
• Six stalks represent good luck and wealth.
• Seven stalks represent good health.
• Eight stalks represent growth.
• Nine stalks represent great luck.
• Ten stalks represent perfection.
• Twenty-one stalks represent a powerful blessing.

I painted lucky bamboo representing love and I didn't know that until the painting was finished and I researched the symbols. Now that I know, I like the way they are intertwined and standing side by side, supporting each other. I know in my own life I have been lucky in love and blessed. 

Thanks for dropping by!

 

  Lucky Bamboo by Leada Wood ©2014

 

Lotus Flower by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Day 20 of Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.

Well it's getting tougher to get the painting a day done and get it on three blogs and face book. Whew! Ten more days! I think I can, I think I can! I hope I can!

Still doing my Asian series for the Chinese New Year. The Lotus flower has many meanings in Chinese culture but the one symbol I liked was purity. I thought it especially fitting for a white Lotus blossom.

Lotus Flower by Leada Wood ©2014

Lucky Fish by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Day 19 Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.

I am still going, some days are tougher than others...they require discipline to continue. Today was one of those days, but finish I did!  I got to enjoy my family as well...it was a good day!

In Feng Shui Fishes are regarded as Symbols of good fortune and abundant wealth. So they are widely used as pet fishes in the aquarium, paintings or pictures or kept as figurines to attract success and prosperity. It is said that the fishes saves us from danger and bad luck. There are many types of fishes used to create positive energy and abundance in Feng Shui like the Arowana, Flowerhorn, Dragon Carp or Gold Fish. 

Today I decided to paint a gold fish, I especially like the ones with the long flowing tails. I also like to paint koi. I love to watch the little fishes swim around in an aquarium or pond. It's very relaxing, whether it brings good luck or not who knows.

Lucky Fish by Leada Wood, copyright 2014