Creative Tuesday is my time to open a drawing pad to a blank page and dig deep to fill in the page with inspirations of the theme over at Mr. Toast's Creative Tuesday's assignment!
This time we were challenged with the theme of Luck/y. Easy right? Eh, not so much. I have been stuck with horseshoes, rainbows, pots of gold, and leprechauns in my head for the last two weeks. Seriously.
That's when it hit me. What about a little Japanese luck? After living in Japan for a number of years I came to understand the Japanese culture really knows a thing or two about luck! Enter the Manekineko!!!
{the following snip is from About.com here and roughly explains what I was told when I purchased my own manekinko.}
"Do you know what manekineko is? Manekineko are cat-shaped lucky charms. Maneki means beckoning and neko means cats in Japanese. A Manekineko raises one of its front paws and beckons (maneku) by showing the palm of the paw. It's said that manekineko raising the left hand beckons customers and one raising the right hand beckons money. You see manekineko in many Japanese stores."I choose to draw a raised left paw to beckon {welcome} you my 'customers' -- seems fitting enough!
And for those of you counting I only used six colors in this doodle... two pinks... two yellows.. black.. and red!
Mr. Toast, thank you for another fun adventure in, around, and through that crazy mind of mine... I have so enjoyed this trip and am looking forward to accepting your next challenge!
I hope you will consider joining in this or the next assignment and check out other artists in the community here.
Great drawing and a little education here too. Great job. Very appropriate.
ReplyDeleteQMM
I have a mug covered in Manekineko, and a gold statue, both from a trip to visit my brother when he lived in Japan for a year. I love those little cats!
ReplyDeletehow purrrrfect! love it...thanks for the info, too!
ReplyDeleteyes, i am with you had the shamrocks etc on my mind all week....you were definitely rocking the creativity on this...
excellent, and I love pink and yellow, too! xxoo
Now isn't that interesting! I've never heard of this! Very cute, as always, Christie! And lucky, too! :)
ReplyDeleteHow cute, lovely take on the theme!
ReplyDeleteChristie--so glad you made it in this time aroudn too. I was sad to see your entry not up and then, pop, it showed up. I always love your thinking process. Yes, I'm afraid my mind was filled wit the stereotypical images too but I so love how you took something from Japan. VERY VERY clever and very well done too, I might add. TY so much.
ReplyDeleteI love when someone can think outside the box, and come up with such a clever and lucky and informative piece. I love it.
ReplyDeleteThis is great!! And I learned something new! Cute drawing :-)
ReplyDeleteI have often seen these little cats but now I understand so much more! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWonderful sketch!!!
this reminds me of those Sanrio characters I had in grade school.:p
ReplyDeletelovely sketch.
Midweek Blues
Love the cat...and I learnt something new...
ReplyDeleteChristie, I like your manekinko cat shaped Mr. Toast. Do you do your drawing using your computer with a sketch pad?
ReplyDeleteI'm visiting with grandkids this week. The thirteen year old does a lot of Avatar drawings with hers. She posts some on her Deviant Art page. She might like to try the manekinko.
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