Week 28: Jul. 14, 2024

Guardian of the Heartland, Adrian Painter, American, 2024

Individual artist selected to decorate one of 154 hearts across Kansas City in the 2024 Parade of Hearts. Original heart created by Dimensional Innovations.

The dragon…

I have always loved the Year of the Dragon because I was born in 1964, so it’s my dragon. Good luck, strength, health…many good things.

This heart was chosen to decorate the lawn of the Nelson to honor their significant collection of Chinese artwork - a bit of which I have highlighted in this diary.

I chose to photograph him from this angle so that he was looking into the camera. He has a powerful but not evil look to him, and the bright reds and yellows jump out from the tan stone of the museum walls while also accenting the reds of the bushes.