Moonlit Bloom: Snake of Spring

This painting shows a snake wrapped with beautiful peony flowers, which bring luck, love, and happiness.  The soft purple and black background with its smooth color change, or gradation, shows the calm of night turning to morning, bringing new beginnings.  The moon will add a peaceful glow, symbolizing hope and harmony.

The Serpent’s Wisdom, The Warriors Grace

This work deftly combines modern, fanciful elements with traditional Chinese painting, especially from the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE). Like Zhou Fang's "Court Ladies Wearing Flowered Headdresses," the central figure reflects the traditional portraiture of noble women. Reflecting the complex hairstyles of Tang court ladies, her profile highlights the pale complexion and red lips preferred in classical Chinese beauty standards, complemented by an elaborate hairpiece adorned with flowers and decorative elements. Inspired by Ming Dynasty silk paintings, she is sporting a kimono-like outfit featuring conventional themes including birds and flowers. These floral elements, common themes in both Tang and Qing dynasty art, further underscore ideas of beauty and femininity. Red flame-like strokes and floating fragments accentuate a surreal atmosphere and create dynamic energy and tension against her serene profile. Watercolor techniques combine modern artistic expression with ancient Chinese inspired brush painting techniques. The color palette creates a cross between classical Chinese art with modern by combining vivid colors with traditional blues and greens (青绿) prevalent in Tang landscape paintings. Symbolically, the artwork weaves together traditional beauty standards, nature, and myth to tell a tale of resilience and mysticism. Combining precise brushwork and rich symbolism with a fanciful vision that appeals to viewers, this work presents a modern interpretation of historical Chinese symbolism.

Four Leaf Year Snake

I have drawn four leaves to represent the four seasons.  The green color represents the Asian vine snake native to China. I wanted the snake to be long and winding to represent the length of the whole year.

The Mystical, Meandering Serpent

My artwork is heavily based on the symbolism behind the Chinese zodiac, the snake. I added the camellia flower, the snakes meanders downward. The traditional writing at the bottom explains how in the Chinese zodiac snake is mysterious and misunderstood. The boxed caption and text is inspired by traditional Japanese artwork. The snake's dragon-like head is based on a sculpture I came across while researching.  

Guardian of Balance

The snake coils around the Ying and Yang as the guardian of nature.  The snake becomes the core of the drawing being red and guardian of the spirit of Yin and Yang. The snake itself is based on the Chinese Leopard snake, known for their prominent spots, so I used gold color to make them pop more. The drawing represents the nature of wildlife intertwining with the ideas of balance as it was foretold from the beginning of time.  

Transformation

The Snake in the Chinese Zodiac is associated with charm, mysteriousness and transformation. To bring out these qualities, I used the technique of free motion embroidery to animate the snake I’ve drawn.  It is both 2D and 3D, opaque and translucent, solid and light. It is a transformation from a simple thread to a majestic snake.

Corinna You

5th Grade

Magic Year of the Snake

Lunar New Year is a magical time in Asian cultures. I created a colorful painting to embody the magic of the year of the snake.