Happy Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year to you.
In the Chinese lunar calendar, this is the year of the horse. So I would like to share with you the masterful work of Xu Beihong (徐悲鴻), a famous Chinese painter, whose ink renderings of horses sell for millions of dollars. I was fortunate to have an opportunity to take pictures of one of his wonderful paintings, which consists of 21 horses on a 30-meter horizontal scroll (some of the horses are shown here). This piece of art is in the collection of  Mr. Yang, to whom a friend introduced me at one of his art exhibitions. I thank Mr. Yang for his generosity, and his daughter too, as she was kind and patient enough to help me arrange to take these photos.

Leaving the doctor’s office one day recently,
I hurried toward my car parked near the hospital,
Suddenly, I heard a question.
“Are you riding a horse?”
I saw two men standing in front of me;
I did not know which of them had asked this question.
I was startled by the inquiry.
“Yes, of course, ” I quickly replied.
I thought, either they know this is the Chinese Year of the Horse,
Or they are mysteriously moved to ask me such a profound question.
I could not keep myself from stopping there,
And I started to tell them my insights about horses in the Year of the Horse.
“This year is the Year of the Horse, and everyone has a horse in his heart.
We can let it rest to drink water,

Then start walking,

Or trotting in a field,

Galloping along the beach.

Sometimes life is not so easy;
We experience trials and difficulties.

But with effort, we can overcome them.
And we can return to a smoother path,

And when we gather all our energy,
We can help the horse leap.

This will take us to a path without limits.

Be a resting horse,
Be a walking horse,
Or a leaping horse,
It all depends on the rider’s ability to control and guide the horse.”

In 2014,
Let us gather our energy,
Ride the horse in our heart,
And leap into an infinite sky to create the life of our dreams.

References:                                                                                 

The life-size sculptures (top seven pictures) are the work of Birmingham (UK)-based master craftsman James Doran-Webb, 46, who spent six painstaking months assembling them as part of Singapore’s celebrations marking the Chinese New Year.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2539999/Hobby-horses-Artist-loves-create-life-size-sculptures-animals-DRIFTWOOD.html

http://www.boredpanda.com/driftwood-horse-sculptures-jame-doran-webb/

https://www.google.com/search?q=Doran-Webb&client=firefox-a&hs=zO6&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=DBjrUrXfJJCAogSW34DYCQ&ved=0CEYQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=946

The Last two pictures are the work of Jeffro Uitto, who collects driftwood from the Washington coast and spends months – even years – assembling and carving them into amazing works of art.

http://youonlyliveonce.com.au/driftwood-sculptures-by-jeffro-uitto/

http://www.amazfacts.com/2013/06/amazing-driftwood-sculptures-by-jeffro.html

http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/06/amazing-driftwood-sculptures-by-jeffro.html

http://twistedsifter.com/2013/10/sculptures-made-from-driftwood-by-jeffro-uitto/