03 ๊ฉœ
Dragens ร…r Lunar Calendar

The 2024 Year of the Dragon Lunar calendars are here ๐ŸŒ‘๐Ÿ‰

The Wood Dragon epitomizes charisma and confidence. Their ambition and determination drive them to set lofty goals and pursue them tirelessly, displaying remarkable resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges. If my introverted self has felt apropos of these traits, Iโ€™m sure you have too. Out with the old to make space for the new.

Thereโ€™s a Chinese idiom, ็•ซ้พ้ปž็›, that roughly translates to โ€œthe finishing touchโ€ - the final mark applied in just the right way and place to bring an entire work to life. A tale about caution as much as it is about mastery - In the 6th Century CE, A painter named Zhang Sengyou was commissioned to paint four Dragons on each wall inside the Anle Temple in Nanjing. But when completed, the monks couldnโ€™t help but notice he missed the obvious - the eyes were pupil-less. โ€œThe eyes are the spirit of the dragon,โ€ he explained. โ€œThe other parts are just the form. Once you dot the eyes, you give it life force, and it will fly away.โ€ But at the insistence of the artist's patrons, the eyes were dotted onto only two of the dragons. With the final brushstroke, the thunder did sound, the lightning struck the wall, and the two dragons flew off into the sky. The monks ordered him to stop, leaving only two dragons to remain in the temple. Zhang insisted on leaving the works incomplete, and even painted locks on the Dragons to keep them grounded.

The artwork is hand drawn and type-set by Kimberly Bager.

๎‹๏ธŽ๏ธŽ๏ธŽ 11x17โ€ in 
๎‹๏ธŽ๏ธŽ๏ธŽ Printed on Neenah Classic Crest 80lb. Cover
๎‹๏ธŽ๏ธŽ๏ธŽ Edition of 50









ยฉ spiral press 2022