Chilliwack artist Kevin Stone and his Saskatchewan investor are hoping The Year of the Dragon will bring them good fortune-specifically $5 million in riches, which is the price tag for a unique artwork Stone made out of mirrored stainless steel.

Stone's metal dragon, which is a traditional Chinese symbol for fortune, power and luck, was unveiled recently at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond just in time for the Chinese New Year, which is celebrating the Year of the Dragon.

The resort has leased the 3,620-kilogram (8,000pound) artwork for six months with an option to keep it on show in its public outdoor courtyard for the full year.

"The dragon speaks for itself. Anyone seeing it will see the level of detail and hard work that went into it," said Stone, who took two years to complete the sculpture.

Each piece was done by hand with Stone first cutting the steel to the desired shape "right out of his head" without the use of drawings so he could "let the art flow naturally out of me." The pieces are then welded together, ground down and polished.

Stone, 42, said he researched dragons before deciding on the Water Dragon.

"As an artist I grew up drawing monsters and things like that and I figured a Chinese dragon was the most sellable dragon. I decided on the water dragon which is the bearer of good harvest, important for luck and wealth and the keeper of water. He brings the rain for crops and good fishing," he said.

To stay financially afloat while working on the sculpture on his 30 acre blueberry farm, Stone relied on a silent partner-a farmer from Saskatchewan-to pay the bills and also come up with the $1 million needed to pay for the cost of supplies. Mirror stainless steel isn't cheap, he added and it took a lot to create the dragon which measures 85-feet long from the head to the tail, is 14-feet wide and 12-feet tall. When the dragon sells they'll split the profit.

He's hoping the dragon sculpture may find a permanent home at a Las Vegas resort or with a wealthy patron.