November 10, 2015

Blue Bird of Happiness...

You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair…Chinese proverb

The symbol of a bluebird as the harbringer of happiness is found in many cultures and may date back thousands of years. One of the oldest examples (found on oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty, 1766-1122 BCE) is from pre-modern China, where the bluebird was the messenger bird of Xi Wangmu, the 'Queen Mother of the West' who began life as a fearsome goddess and Immortal. By the Tang Dynasty (618-906 CE) she had evolved into a Daoist fairy queen and the protector/patron of "singing girls dead women, novices, nuns, adepts and priestesses...women [who] stood outside the roles prescribed for women in the traditional Chinese family". 



How I did what I did:






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3 comments:

NCSue said...

Love your art, Pat.
Thanks for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/11/basilica-shrine-of-saint-mary.html

Jeanie said...

Oh, how wonderful! I want to paint all my birds blue now! And I really appreciate the step-out photos. It's fun to see the whole process!

Kim Cunningham said...

That is a great saying and so so true! I wish I could impart that to a few people. Lovely artwork!