Chinatown

Artwork: Chinese Lion Dance

in art / artwork / Chinatown / chinese / digital art / mixed media / shaire productions / shaireproductions / sherrie thai January 24, 2009

Posted by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com

Chinese Lion Dance

Chinese Lion Dance is in honor of the Chinese/Lunar New Year, so many happy thoughts going out!

Like many of my recent pieces, this was created initially by hand with pen/ink, then scanned and cleaned up in Photoshop. I created the elements, primarily the lion and ground, separately (see Chrysanthemum Floral Design post), then collaged them together and added slight color highlights. I wanted to keep the colors of the lion very subtle, so the viewer could concentrate on the details of the patterns, rather than be distracted by lots of color. Red is the Chinese color of luck and the symbol in the top right represents happiness.

I’ve been meaning to create an illustration of Chinese Lions and the Lunar New Year is a great opportunity. They’re always so fascinating, especially after performing with a troupe with some folks in Oakland (many moons ago). I never tire of the tradition nor the pageantry.

Photo: Woman Looking for Cans in SF Chinatown

in candid / Chinatown / documentary photographer / photo / photograph / photography / shaire productions / shaireproductions / sherrie thai September 24, 2008

Being that my grandma lives in Chinatown, I often visit her, and see a bit of the social environment. This old woman was sifting through the trash, looking for cans to recycle, hoping to make a few extra dollars. In Chinatown, the elderly often have limited English abilities, and being too old to work, rely on government assistance and making money in the humblest of ways.