The first is a still life drawing of the scene below it - a recent photograph from near the main square in Tequila, Mexico. I doodled this on the journey home from a wedding in Guadalajara, back to San Antonio.

The second, third and fourth are a series of random sketches, also drawn on the journey home from Mexico - but to experiment with various colors and brushes before endeavoring in the third work pictured below (and inspired by the photo beneath it).

The fifth and final doodle came of a company-wide Lunar New Year calligraphy class held to accommodate both real-life and remote (tuning in virtually, like me) employees. The class was held by two members of the Sishu Mandarin School staff, based in New York City. Not only did the session invite me and my fellow employees into the culture behind Chinese New Year, it also led me to do some personal research into 2023’s year of the rabbit, and what it all means.

It’s actually pretty interesting to consider that this year’s gentle, clever rabbit represents a very different energy than that of last year’s positive, active tiger. “The year of the rabbit embodies a different engird, focusing on relaxation, quietness and contemplation.” (BBC)