Chinese characters: disguise, skillful, dexterity, and curious.

There are no raccoons in China, only racoon dogs, named because they resemble raccoons. However, raccoons symbolize: disguise, dexterity, seeking guidance and confidence, questioning without fear, balancing curiosity, and secrecy.

In honor of the Beatles song, “Rocky Raccoon,” on their double disc “The White Album”…primarily written by Paul McCartney, who was inspired while playing acoustic guitar with John Lennon and Donovan in India (where the Beatles had gone on a retreat).

Chinese characters: fertility, nurturing, power, and earth. Beef is generally taboo in Chinese culture, and not recommended in Chinese medicine, since it’s thought to disrupt the body's internal balance. This comes from a Chinese perspective of respect for animal life and vegetarianism.

In honor of Pauline Wayne, who supplied President Taft with milk from 1910-1913.

The elephant calf symbolizes good luck, fortune, loyalty, strength, fidelity, longevity, peace, and power. Chinese characters: good luck, fortune, peace and power.

In honor of all babies, Ellie is named after the children’s book: Where's Ellie?: A Hide-and-Seek Book

The zebra symbolizes seeing in black and white, clarity without filters, balance, agility, uniqueness, power, sureness of path, keeping up individuality within the herd. (Characters: individualism, and balance)
 

The tiger image is synonymous with success and achievement, along with protective guards that ward of evil spirits.

Ode to Amy Chua’s parenting book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
“The Chinese way,” in which punishingly hard work — enforced by parents — yields excellence; excellence, in turn, yields satisfaction in what Chua calls a “virtuous circle.” In Disney movies, the [studious kid] always has to have a breakdown and realize that life is not all about following rules and winning prizes, and then take off her clothes and run into the ocean or something like that. But that's just Disney's way of appealing to all the people who never win any prizes. Winning prizes gives you opportunities, and that's freedom — not running into the ocean.”

As part of my “Americanized Chinese Brush Painting Series”…
This can of soup has a message to further awareness of unhealthy processed food, and the need for GMO food labeling. I purposefully made the can look worn and imperfect, because that’s what GMOs do to our food supplies.
 

Nuts for Nutella

Nutella® spread, in its earliest form, was created in the 1940s by Mr. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero company. At the time, there was very little chocolate because cocoa was in short supply due to World War II rationing.

So Mr. Ferrero used hazelnuts, which are plentiful in the Piedmont region of Italy (northwest), to extend the chocolate supply.

The main ingredients of Nutella are sugar and palm oil, followed by hazelnut, cocoa solids, and skimmed milk. Only in the United States, Nutella contains soy products, which is mostly GMO soy. Eat in moderation, Nutella lovers.

Hot sauce master David Tran arrived in California in 1979 from Vietnam, humble and hungry but in need of a spicy additive worthy of his Pho soup. Within a few months, his first chili sauce “Pepper Saté Sauce” was born and Tran began selling it door to door to local restaurants and markets. He named his company “Huy Fong Foods, Inc.” in remembrance of the old Panamanian freighter, the “Huey Fong”, which carried Tran out of Vietnam, and chose his zodiac animal, the rooster, as his logo.

The Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce we all know and love was first sold in 1983, made from fresh, organic red Jalapeño chili peppers, vinegar, organic garlic, salt and sugar. Huy Fong Foods, Inc. has never advertised their products, they simply let the sauce’s legend spread by word of mouth, and spread it has, like wildfire, now ranking as one of the world’s leaders in the hot sauce industry.

Stan Musial …Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals. Musial played 22 seasons, from 1941–1963, and is widely considered one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. He was also a Navy veteran of WWII.

This painting is In honor of my hometown, baseball, and the St. Louis Cardinals.

The horse symbolizes personal drive, passion, appetite for freedom, and a strong motivation that carries through life. The meaning of the horse varies, depending on whether it’s represented as wild, tamed, moving freely or constrained. A secondary meaning for the horse is the balance between instinctive and tamed.

Commission: Marty for his wife Peg’s birthday

commission: Marty & Peg’s 38th Anniversary

Chinese characters: compassion, wit, sensitivity, tactfulness, creative imagination, and Happy Birthday.

In Chinese culture, the rabbit symbolizes creativity, compassion, and sensitivity. The Rabbit survives by its wit and quick thinking, often reminding us to move forward despite our fears and use our intuition to get through difficult situations.

This bunny makes a great birthday gift since the horizontal characters mean “happy birthday“.

Chinese characters mean: loyalty, protection, love, and strength.

When bumble bees mate, they interlock in a frenzy of sound, physically pummeling to the ground, amidst their embrace.

Materials: ink, stamps and painted, then digitally manipulated

The phenomenon, dubbed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), is thought to be caused by a variety of imbalances in the environment, although agricultural practices such as the use of neonicotinoid pesticides are receiving growing attention as more research comes in. As written in the journal Nature:

“Here we show that chronic exposure of bumble bees to two pesticides (neonicotinoid and pyrethroid) at concentrations that could approximate field-level exposure impairs natural foraging behavior and increases worker mortality leading to significant reductions in brood development and colony success.

Four Steps to Help Protect the Bees

1-Support organic farmers and shop at local farmer’s markets as often as possible. You can “vote with your fork” three times a day. (When you buy organic, you are making a statement by saying “no” to GMOs and toxic pesticides!)

2-Cut the use of toxic chemicals in your house and on your lawn, and use only organic, all-natural forms of pest control.

3-Better yet, get rid of your lawn altogether and plant a garden or other natural habitat. Lawns offer very little benefit for the environment. Both flower and vegetable gardens provide excellent natural honeybee habitats.

4-Become an amateur beekeeper. Having a hive in your garden requires only about an hour of your time per week, benefits your local ecosystem, and you can enjoy your own honey!

Happy Chinese New Year

A very popular Chinese New Year symbol is a child holding a large goldfish and a lotus flower, symbolizing abundance of gold and harmony. #ALargeGoldfishForYou

In honor of James Bond

Cardinals symbolize regality, natural confidence, and leadership with grace and nobility.

The Barred Owl is very vocal, and often duets with its mate, is gifted in speech, cooperative with others, and sacred to the Greek goddess of learning, Athena. Also symbolic of wisdom, mystery, transition, messages, intelligence, protection, and secrets.

Chinese characters: song, poet, speech, and intelligence.

Named in honor of the Bardd: in medieval Gaelic and Welsh society, a bard (Scottish and Irish Gaelic) or Bardd (Welsh) was a professional poet.

The American Goldfinch sings to our awareness, and is beckoning to unleash our own song. If we’ve been concealing our brilliance from the world – the finch is a sign to start making our value more audible and available to others.
Chinese characters: song, give, and resilience
(India ink, acrylics, and watercolor on rice paper.)

Theo is named after Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, The Goldfinch. The book tells the story of Theo Decker, whose mother is killed in a museum bombing and whose father wants little to do with him. During the bombing, Decker stole The Goldfinch, the 1654 painting by Carel Fabritius, which he keeps hidden from the world.

Chinese character represents cleverness.

Seagulls symbolize a carefree attitude, versatility and freedom. They are packed with personality, and are very clever. Seagulls learn, remember and even pass on behaviors, such as stamping their feet in a group to imitate rainfall and trick earthworms to come to the surface.

The Loggerhead Turtle symbolizes vast journeys, and the gift of a long life.

This little one has just hatched and is trekking toward the water.
Chinese characters: journey, blessings, longevity
(Squirt was the baby turtle in Finding Nemo.)

Happy Feet

The penguin symbolizes: strong bonds, dedication, devotion, strong will, including self sacrifice when caring for and loving their mate and chicks. Chinese characters: dedication, determination, strong will, and eternal love.

In honor of Robin Williams, and his penguin character named Ramon. “You, me, beautiful egg, right now.”

Increasingly, health experts recommend that people take a daily cat nap as a way of restoring energy and increasing work productivity. The famous British politician Winston Churchill has been quoted as being an advocate of daily naps for precisely this reason. Other esteemed individuals noted for taking daytime naps include Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. So, go ahead and take that nap!

The Boston Terrier symbolizes affection, intelligence, and loyalty with a stubborn streak. Known as the dapper “American Gentleman”
Chinese characters: loyalty, affection, wisdom.

This puppy is painted in honor of Sergeant Stubby, a decorated WWI hero and mascot of the 102nd infantry. He warned American soldiers against poisonous gas and imminent attacks.

The Dachshund symbolizes vitality, joy of life, devotion, perseverance, and stubbornness.

Chinese characters: joy, vitality, and perserverance

Pandas symbolize kindness, playfulness, peace and good fortune.
Chinese characters: kindness, peace and good fortune
In honor of Ju Xiao, a panda in China who just gave birth to triplets,
an extremely rare event.
 

The Ties That Bind

Chinese characters: empathy, concern, awareness, consciousness, and water tiger.

Those born between February 5, 1962 and January 24, 1963 are members of the Water Tiger Chinese sign, which symbolizes: a calming influence of the Water Element gives the Water Tiger a unique burst of empathy and social perceptiveness that other members of the Tiger sign do not share, with a very strong concern for the well-being of others. Out of all the Tiger signs, the Water Tiger shows the greatest concern for family members and friends, which in turn may make them the most well received.

A baby zebra foal symbolizes: purity, chastity, sincerity, benefits and profits.

Chinese characters: innocence, purity, chastity, baby, happiness, and acquired wealth. From the story Racing Stripes, where in a rush to pack up during a thunderstorm, the Circus Sorano (a traveling circus) accidentally leaves behind a baby zebra.
 

Chinese characters mean joy, and happiness.

The elephant calf symbolizes good luck, fortune, loyalty, strength, longevity, peace, and power. Chinese characters: innocence, joy, fun, luck, peace, and power

In honor of Pelé, retired Brazilian footballer, widely regarded as the best football player of all time. In 1999, he was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics.

Fierce Mother: Tawaret and Calf

It is believed that the Hippo was a symbol in the Egyptian world. These animals lived along the Nile River. There is an Egyptian goddess named Tawaret who is believed to be the protector of pregnant women and their infants. The symbolism here is the fact that the Hippo will do anything – even kill – in order to protect her young

Yin Chen-Hsin

A symbol of serene strength and power in Japan and China where it is the tiger, not the lion who is “king of beasts”. The white tiger combines the courage and fierceness of a soldier with an ethereal, magisterial dignity, also known to frighten away demonic, evil spirits. Perceived as an icon of strength, speed and agility, seen as ‘God’s officer on special duty’, protecting the young, healing the sick, and punishing the culprits.

Chinese characters: king, guardian, speed and agility.

In honor of the ultimate tribute, the title of "White Tiger" that was bestowed upon Yin Chen-Hsin, a canonized general by the last Emperor of the yin dynasty. The general's image is found on the entrance of all Taoist temples to this day.

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!

Chinese characters: Happy Birthday

May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.
May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.
May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that’s always blue.
And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.

Clap along if you feel that happiness is the truth…
“Happy” by Pharrell Williams
 

Chinese character: Happy

May joy and peace surround you,
Contentment latch your door,
And happiness be with you now,
And bless you evermore.
~Irish Proverb

See Through the Fog

Faith is like radar that sees through the fog. ~Corrie Ten Boom
Chinese character: faith

Reach for the Stars

“Nothing happens until something moves.”
― Albert Einstein

Chinese character: Change

Dedicated to my husband Benjamin, who is my hero
and champion of change. The world is our oyster!

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors,
we borrow it from our children.
~Native American Proverb

Happy Earth Day
Chinese character: Earth, and Ground

Take the Non-GMO challenge. Buy locally grown, or non-GMO, organically certified foods.

More than 80 percent of all GMOs grown worldwide are engineered for herbicide tolerance. As a result, use of toxic herbicides like Roundup has increased 15 times since GMOs were introduced. Researchers continue to uncover environmental and health concerns related to exposure to these chemicals.

GMO crops are also responsible for the emergence of “superweeds” and “superbugs” that can only be killed with more toxic poisons like 2,4-D (a major ingredient in Agent Orange). GMOs are a direct extension of chemical agriculture, and they are developed and sold by the world’s biggest chemical companies. The long-term impacts of GMOs are unknown, and once they're released into the environment these novel organisms cannot be recalled.
 

Patience in the Storm

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Romans 8:25

Patience is an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay. Quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence.

Chinese character: Warmth

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

Denver described how he wrote “Sunshine on My Shoulders”: “I wrote the song in Minnesota at the time I call ‘late winter, early spring’. It was a dreary day, gray and slushy. The snow was melting and it was too cold to go outside and have fun, but God, you're ready for spring. You want to get outdoors again and you're waiting for that sun to shine, and you remember how sometimes just the sun itself can make you feel good. And in that very melancholy frame of mind I wrote 'Sunshine on My Shoulders’.”
 

Listen, question, research, formulate, THINK.
Chinese characters: think, listen, question, and consider

“There are three types of people in this world…sheep, wolves and
sheep dogs.” Be the sheepdog. 10/365

Chinese character means: walk

Benjamin Franklin is reputed to have coined the proverbial saying “Well done is better than well said”.

ThePhraseFinder states that the earliest usage of this phrase comes from the Mansfield News, an Ohio newspaper printed in June 1921. A line from the newspaper reads:

“Although he has no gilded medals upon his bosom, Howard Herring of the North American Watch company, walks the walk, and talks the talk, of a hero today.”

Never Forget

Honoring the memory of those that lost their lives, and of those that risked their lives to save others. May we never forget 9–11.
Chinese characters symbolize:
between heaven and earth, grace, and God bless.
 

Rise up this mornin’,
Smiled with the risin’ sun,
Three little birds
Each by my doorstep
Singin’ sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Saying’, (“This is my message to you”)

Singin’ “Don't worry ‘bout a thing,
‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright.”
Singing’ “Don't worry (don't worry) ‘bout a thing, ‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright!”

Chinese character: dance

For the first time in a generation a dancer has made the cover of Time magazine: Misty Copeland, the American Ballet Theater soloist, was chosen as one of the magazine’s “100 most influential people,” and is featured on one of the five different covers for its upcoming issue.

But her fame has extended beyond the ballet world, thanks in part to her recent memoir, “Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina,” which recounts how she overcame adversity to find success as one of the few African-American women stars in the predominantly white ballet world. Her profile was further raised by advertisements she made for Under Armour.
Congrats Misty Copeland!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

(Expanding on my wanderlust theme…I love this Mark Twain quote.)

Gardening is cheaper than therapy, and you get tomatoes.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
~ Hippocrates, the father of medicine

Chinese character symbolizes: raw food, medicinal

The sea, once it casts it’s spell, holds one in its net forever.
~Jacques Cousteau

Chinese character: water

I love to see teachers bring in the dough!

The first Starbucks opened in Seattle, Washington on March 30, 1971, by partners who met while students at the University of San Francisco: English teacher Jerry Baldwin, and History teacher
Zev Siegl.

Howard Schultz, Starbucks’ current CEO grew up in a Brooklyn housing project, and after snagging a football scholarship from Northern Michigan, he became the first in his family to graduate from college. He landed a marketing gig at a small coffee bean store called Starbucks. Between 1987 and 2007, Starbucks opened on average two new stores every day! Howard Shultz is now worth approximately 2.9 billion.

Chinese character means love.

Cupid carries two kinds of arrows, one with a sharp golden point, and the other with a blunt tip of lead. A person wounded by the golden arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire, but the one struck by the lead feels aversion and desires only to flee. In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupido, meaning "desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus, and is known in Latin also as Amor ("Love"). His Greek counterpart is Eros.
 

Thankfully Grounded.

Chinese characters: Thank You
It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.~Ralph Waldo Emerson
 

In honor of National Cheeseburger Day

Chinese characters: cheese, along with, hamburger, sandwich, paradise. Lionel Sternberger is said to have invented the cheeseburger in 1926, when working as a fry cook at his father's Pasadena, California sandwich shop, “The Rite Spot,” when he experimentally dropped a slab of American cheese on a sizzling hamburger.

But at night I'd had these wonderful dreams
Some kind of sensuous treat
Not zucchini, fettuccine or bulgur wheat
But a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat
~Jimmy Buffett