Category: Blog

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YEAR OF THE HORSE

GONG HEI FAT CHOY! For the Chinese New Year Spring Festival, this year, February 17th 2026, steps up the 7th animal of the Zodiac in its new element, the Fire Horse.

My ASL Dictionary cartoon of television characters Wilbur Post and his talking Horse, Ed, illustrates the ASL hand sign for HORSE. To match the Zodiac’s symbol of energy, bravery, strength and ambition, Ed’s coat has been painted in the colours of fire with a dragon-scaled bridle.

The H hand bends forward at the knuckles twice, like a horse’s ears.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #horse #cartoon #chinesenewyear #yearofthehorse #myasldictionary

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MEDAL OF ACHIEVEMENT

For more than just the Olympics, Medals are awarded as tangible and lasting symbols of recognition of excellence in Sports, Military, Academics, Arts, and Literature.
 
My ASL Dictionary also acknowledges excellence with its small biographies on Deaf History. A cartoon of Deaf Wrestler Matthew Stanley Hamill, The Hammer, illustrates the ASL hand sign for MEDAL. In recognition of the countless awards in his wrestling career and his contributions to the deaf community.
 
Both index fingers trace down the neck for the ribbon while the bent index and thumbs bend into half circles over the chest for the award’s metal disk.
 
#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #medal #MatthewStanleyHamill #Hammer #wrestling #deafhistory #cartoon #myasldictionary

First Posted January 4, 2023 in THE HAMMER

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BRONZE BELL

The third medal of the Olympic hierarchy. In Art, Electronics, and Olympic Medals, Bronze is the Colour for Excellence and High Achievement. In 1904, the three-podium system (Gold-Silver-Bronze) was formalized in the St. Louis Olympic Games.
 
A cartoon of an Olympic Mime holding onto a Bronze Medal shows the ASL hand sign for BRONZE with fingerspelling.
 
#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #bronze #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary
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FLAG DAY

Each country has a flag with a distinctive design to represent its nation. The most popular Flag Colour is Red (75%), followed by White and Blue at 50%. Flag Days are a holiday designated to fly the flag or celebrate the historical event of its first use.
In Canada, February 15 is National Flag of Canada Day. On December 17, Queen Elizabeth proclaimed the maple leaf as the flag of Canada and on February 15, 1965, the flag was first raised on Parliament Hill.

My ASL Dictionary’s 2019 cartoon of a woman with hair flying in the wind (hair striped in colours found on flags), illustrating the ASL hand sign for FLAG.
For the English word reveal I displayed the various designs for the Canadian flag before ending with the Maple Leaf.

With the dominant hand positioned on the opposite index finger, the Flat Hand swings back and forth like a flag waving on a pole.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #flag #flagday #nationalflagofcanadaday #dictionary #cartoon #myasldictionary
 
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SILVER BULLET

As the 2026 Winter Olympics continue in Italy, the colour of the next prized medal. A traditional symbol of Second Place Achievement, Silver represents the second of the three “Ages of Man” from Greek Mythology.
For the first Modern Olympic Games in 1896, Silver was the award for First Place.

My ASL Dictionary updated cartoon of an Olympic Mime holding up a Silver Medal, illustrating the ASL hand signs for SILVER.

The Index finger points to the earlobe, then moves away into an S hand with a small shake.
OR
The 8 hand in front of the ear flicks the middle finger and thumb twice. (ASL variant from Canadian Region)

#asl #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #silver #metal #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

My ASL Dictionary uses cartoons of MIMES (Jesters dressed in the blank canvas of black and white) to show ASL hand signs for COLOUR.

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GOLD MEDALS

The 2026 Schlegel Winter Olympics at Waterloo’s University Gates was an outstanding celebration of sportsmanship and community, with medals for every competitor.
As symbols of highest achievement, rarity, and excellence, the next posts will cover the hand signs for the top three. Next to the decorative adornment of beautiful jewellery, the gold medal is more precious.

My ASL Dictionary updated cartoon of an Olympic Mime holding up a Gold Medal shows the ASL hand signs for GOLD.

The Index finger on the earlobe moves forward into a Y hand. The wrist twisted back and forth in a wobble.
OR
The Index finger on the earlobe moves forward, palm out, into the Y hand.
OR
The Index finger on the earlobe moves forward into a G hand. The wrist twisted back and forth in a wobble.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #gold #cartoon #dictionary #comic #myasldictionary #schlegelolympics #schlegelvillages

My ASL Dictionary uses cartoons of MIMES (Jesters dressed in the blank canvas of black and white) to show ASL hand signs for COLOUR.

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FAMILY DECK

Happy Family Day!
Starting in 1990, FAMILY DAY, JOUR DE LA FAMILLE, is a regional Canadian Holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February. A Celebration of the togetherness of Family and Community.
My ASL Dictionary features cartoons of the Royal Deck for each of the hand signs of Family Members.
 
A Cartoon of a Playing Card Queen, her Crown and Robes decorated with playing cards, illustrates the ASL hand sign for FAMILY DAY. The cards presenting the words in English have the ASL hand signs for FATHER, MOTHER, CHILD and KID.
 
FAMILY
Both F hands, touching at the fingertips of the thumb and index finger, arc away in a half circle to meet in front of the body resting on the pinkie fingers.
DAY
Index finger arcs down on the opposite arm, like the sun’s arc during a day
 
#asl #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #family #familyday #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary
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SALAD DRESSING

My ASL Dictionary has the hand signs for various Fruits and Vegetables. For a book update, the sign for the Side Dish of mixed raw greens, fruits, vegetables, pasta, and toppings.

A cartoon of a Girl with Fancy Pink Headphones illustrates the ASL hand sign for SALAD.

Palms facing each other, the Curved hands twist upward twice, the visual of tossing a salad.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #salad #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

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HEAD OF LETTUCE

My past ASL artwork included the hand sign for SALAD, but sadly missed the popular, leafy green vegetable, a member of the sunflower family, that is a salad’s main ingredient. Today’s update corrects this problem.
 
A cartoon of a Salad Chef with a bowl of Lettuce shows the ASL hand sign for LETTUCE.
 
The palm pad of the Loosely Clawed 5 hand taps the side of the head twice, a reference to the leaves on a head of lettuce.
OR
Fingerspell LETTUCE
 
#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #lettuce #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary
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BEHIND THE PASSIONS

June 1, 2023, Schlegel Villages held a Pursuit of Passions Gala at The Village of University Gates in Waterloo. Photographer Chris Kufske took the pictures of the artists honoured at the celebration. During my interview, she asked questions about my artwork, my love of American Sign Language, and how I blended both into my first finished book, My ASL Dictionary.
Surrounded by samples of my printed ASL artwork, Chris asked me to pose with a pencil and paper, so I enhanced that picture by drawing a cartoon of her instead (which I let her keep).
Below is the video Riverside Glen staff took of the experience.

#asl #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #schlegelvillages #pursuitofpassions #chriskufske

Pursuit with Passions Interview

While I was posing for Chris, she was posing for me as I drew a cartoon of her. This is a photograph; she has the original.