Happy Chinese New Year! While the western zodiac is broken up into 12 months, the Chinese zodiac is divided into 12 years. Every year the Chinese calendar assigns a traditional animal zodiac to dominate and define the year's events. 2015 was the year of the Goat, Sheep, or Ram, a creative and altrustic, sign. 2016 is the year of the Red Fire Monkey. The Monkey is the 9th animal of the 12 Chinese zodiacs. The Monkey is a clever, mischievous, and wily sign that lends itself to being a little gullible, hyper-emotional, and we'll say it, self-indulgent. Take this to mean what you will for the year 2016 but we're intrigued! The most recent (previous) year of the Monkey was 2004. This past October, Grand Image held a special exhibition featuring a new body of work by Maeve Harris. The show, SIGNS, was inspired by the Chinese zodiac and included paintings for each of the 12 animal signs. Take a look below to check out the work, and discover which animal is your sign.

2016 Pantone Selection: Serenity + Rose Quartz For the first time ever, there are TWO Pantone selections for the year! Rose Quartz (Pantone 13-1520) + Serenity (Pantone 15-3919). 

From the Press Release: "A symbolic color selection; a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude.

For the first time Pantone introduces two shades, Rose Quartz and Serenity as the PANTONE Color of the Year 2016. Rose Quartz is a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure. Serenity is weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, bringing feelings of respite and relaxation even in turbulent times."

Since, the announcement, we've been dreaming of this ethereal pair. Together, these two shades create a calm and relaxed mood. However, paired with metallics, or even rich greens, blues, purples, and browns, these shades liven up and can become quite dramatic. Scroll below to checkout our take on this color story as seen through the Grand Image art collections.