For me, creating an artwork is adventurous.
Most of the time, I don’t plan it out, or just have a very vague idea in my head, and I go straight into it with my drawing or painting tools. Though my art teachers often disapprove of this habit, I quite enjoy the spontaneous process of communicating with the medium and let it take me to wherever it wants. The finished piece can be as unexpected to me as to my audience.
When I thought about drawing a cartoon for the 2018 Chinese New Year, I knew I wanted puppies as my subject for the year of the Dog. But, what type of puppies? I wanted the drawing to be as diverse as possible, and at the same time making the commonality obvious, that they are all puppies and they are here to celebrate the year of the Dog. This is going to be a family portrait for the puppies.
As I was brainstorming, I grew interested in looking at Chinese New Year as an outsider. I tried to learn about it from a non-Chinese perspective, and I found many interesting articles. Did you know any non-Chinese famous people who were born in the year of the Dog?
They include Dame Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, Alan Rickman, David Bowie, Madonna, Mother Teresa, and both Prince WIlliam and Kate Middleton!
Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China.
Every year, tens of millions travel across China to reunite with their family for the New Year’s Eve dinner. It is more than a dinner, and it is more than just welcoming a new year together or protecting your families from this horrible demon monster called Xi 夕 or Nian 年 from old legends. Staying up all night for New Year’s Eve (除夕) is called Shou sui (守歲) in Chinese, and the characters literally mean ‘keep time.’ It means being fully present with the family, and keep every second of it with gratitude.
Growing up in China, I loved Chinese New Year. Schools are closed, streets are decorated, everyone is happy, we stock up food and cook a long table of dishes on New Year’s eve and wait until the bell toll at midnight–it is almost sacred and important for a year of good luck! Though I still celebrate it with my parents after I moved to the U.S, the atmosphere is just not the same. And inevitably, it blends in the local culture, whether that is in America or anywhere else. The Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, is also celebrated across Asia. Even within China, the customs are not exactly the same between different regions.
At the end of the day, no matter where you are or where you came from, Lunar New Year is a time for family.
Wishing you a wonderful year of the dog filled with prosperity, love, and good health!
Happy Lunar New Year! Woof woof!