The Year of the Horse: Qianli Ma

Qianli Ma © samos 2014

 My maternal grandfather came over from China when he was a young boy. I have few memories of him because he left this life when I was only 6, but what I do remember is his smile. He was always smiling and I love that about him...

A couple days ago my ancestors celebrated the Chinese New Year which happens to be the year of the horse. As many of you know, I LOVE horses. They have been a large part of my life since I was a little girl. Lately I have been painting them and Qianli Ma is my latest creation. 

The spirit of the horse is recognized to be the Chinese people's ethos – making unremitting efforts to improve themselves. It is energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent and able. Ancient people liked to designate an able person as 'Qianli Ma', a horse that covers a thousand li a day (one li equals 500 meters). 

If you are interested in purchasing this painting it is available in my ETSY shop.