Lunar New Year 2017 ~ The Year of the Rooster
(Ink Drawing with Digital after effects)
For many years I taught International students, many of whom were Asian. Their colorful dance and cultural celebrations have stayed with me. Each year I design a Spring Festival graphic welcoming the Lunar New Year.
The year of the Rooster is characterized by optimism, confidence, hard work and action. After starting my first thumbnail sketches, it became clear that this was going to be my most political image. The metaphors are endless and came scratching at my studio door: 'ruffling feathers', 'wake-up calls', 'Big Endians' and 'Little Endians' (thanks Mr. Swift!) and all that 'crowing'.
I really liked the idea of zooming in to the face of the rooster. That comb! Those beady eyes and what was it he was really saying at the crack of dawn? Was it worth listening to? What IS worth listening to these days?
Feathers! So many graphic possibilities. Initially I thought to go very stylized and graphic, tuning in to their wavy, linear patterns... Still thinking about those sound waves at this point. What are the threads of important conversation?
Brown paper is a natural choice for organic imagery. I love the textures and low! that brown really looks like egg shells. Hmmm. The inking began...
Color was definitely going to be important. Strong cherry reds, eggshell tones, organic touches...
Not yet pleased with the feathers, I needed to develop them further. There is a repeated egg shape throughout my design. It's in his eye, his wattle, his song curves, the date stamp, so why not the neck feathers? I had just finished reading "The Story Of Gulliver" by Jonathan Coe and realized another opportunity to play with the Big Endian and Little Endian political themes laid out by Jonathan Swift. And of course, they had to come in all skin tones...
But WHAT was he saying? I came back from the #womensmarch in New York City and had my answer: Diversity, Pride, Community, Humanity. The rainbow appeared as did earth tones and the Sun's golden warmth.
