water dragon

Medium: Watercolor
Dimensions: 5.5" x 15.5"

I've always loved dragons and have seen them come into the human consciousness more over the past years. Most of my dragons are Asian influenced and have between 3 to 5 toes on each foot. This was one of my first dragons. I love this dragon. I felt very connected and inspired while painting this piece. Sometimes still, years later, I will look at the Water Dragon and get lost in the textures and colors.

About Dragons:
The dragon's spine reveals everything. It is at once flexible and strong. There is a Chinese exercise called "The Swimming Dragon", where the participant follows a set of motions that simultaneously flex and strengthen the spine. Western society teaches us to "keep our spine straight", but we walk around stiff or slumped. There are no Western traditions for strengthening and flexing the spine. Even ballet reveals a preference for a "straight," stiff back.

The dragon's ability to flex his spine allows chi to flow through every part of his being. Many asanas in Hatha Yoga are slower movements of bringing chi throughout the being by breathwork and slowly flexing the spine.

I imagine a living dragon as an unselfconscious force - having no blockages or weakness from the moment of thought to moment of action. When the dragon speaks, there is no holding back: no tightness of the throat or neck from fear. The dragon's expression is pure, creative, and simple, like the element of fire. The dragon is creatrix. And this dragon is dancing in his playful, watery world.