Gu Tongxiang prefers painting in the yard.
Gu's Book Gallery now plays classical music and decorates its 200-square-meter finely decorated facade like a small art gallery.
In fact, the main thing is to look elegant and refined.
It is used to do business with petty bourgeoisie customers.
Modern small galleries throughout Yangon, like light luxury cafes, mainly target foreign tourists and the urban middle class with good incomes.
In the past, when times were bad, we didn’t have this condition at all.
Go back thirty or forty years. At that time, those who painted traditional Chinese paintings in Myanmar were almost the same as those who spoke cross talk or sang duet. They really starved to death just pretending to be literary men.
You have to be grounded.
Everyone carries folding tables, chairs, and the Four Treasures of the Study every day, and finds a popular place on an overpass or park to set up a street stall and paint on the spot.
After painting, shout, and after shouting, paint again.
At the end of the day, you can earn three melons and two dates from the crowd watching the excitement to support your family.
When Mr. Gu made his fortune, the French-Burmese man who traded small yellow croakers for ancient paintings was acquainted among the onlookers in the park.
In recent years, his income has been better than before, and Gu Tongxiang is getting older.
The old man could now sit in the gallery with peace of mind and no longer run around in the wind and rain.
Old habits die hard;
He still doesn't like to use the professional studio at home, but prefers to set up a long table in the yard and paint in the open air according to the old habit.
It just rained yesterday and the air is fresh.
Gu Tongxiang felt that it was a bit like an empty mountain after a new rain. When he got up in the morning, he wiped the table and brought rice paper and paint. He spread painting tools on the long table and painted for a while as a morning exercise.
Old man Wu has sharp eyes.
When I caught a glimpse of the half-painted peonies on the rice paper and saw the paints on the long table, I immediately guessed it.
"Forget it, Lao Gu, you are asking for trouble."
"If you want to be healthy, don't worry about anything." Old Man Wu curled his lips and said a health-preserving jingle.
"At your age, do you really think that old trees can't bloom new flowers? Why are you holding on to Lang Shining? If we don't have the ability, we have to accept our fate."
Old man Wu's words were completely well-intentioned.
As an old neighbor who often comes and goes,
He knew that Gu Tongxiang had planned to imitate Lang Shining, and he had been trying to do so for a while.
After trying for a long time but failing, I finally became honest.
Unexpectedly, this obsession was aroused again.
Old man Wu thought, why should this guy be at odds with him?
When people get older, they can no longer compete with life.
It’s really not worth it if you keep working hard and don’t see any hope. If you don’t say anything, you may be tortured by the thought of not getting what you want and lose a few years of your life.
"It's okay. In ancient times, Huang Gongwang learned painting at the age of 52 and painted "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" at the age of 84. Recently, Picasso painted until he was almost 90, Cao Xuan and Yayoi Kusama did not put down their painting brushes."
After receiving guidance from Gu Weijing, Gu Tongxiang began to find a sense of fusion painting.
Gu Tongxiang can clearly feel his progress in the past two days compared with before.
He is enjoying his studies now and is a little reluctant to accept his old age.
Mr. Gu smoothed his bald forehead with the palm of his hand and raised his neck: "I think compared with them, I am still young. I can still paint for a few more years at this age."
"Damn, ugh!"
Old man Wu, who was also a well-known member of the upper echelon of society, said a dirty word without hesitation.
He was immediately amused by Lao Gu's lofty demeanor.
"Are you worthy of comparing with these figures? If you tell me, outsiders will laugh and faint. I met Master Cao Xuan a few times this year beside the Shwedagon Pagoda, and I really think of myself as a figure."
"Let me tell you, in normal times, even if you meet Master Cao's disciple, you have to bend down respectfully and call the teacher, and they may not be willing to pay attention to you. Xiao Gu, do you think this is the case? "
Old man Wu took a puff of his cigar and glanced at Gu Weijing next to him.
Gu Weijing touched his head and said nothing.
"Xiao Gu, if you have nothing to do, please advise your grandpa more. I never thought he was so out of tune before. Don't think about all these things. I still want to live with him for a few more years, play chess for a few more years, and beat him for a few more years. There’s a pack of cigarettes.”
"Just because you are such a bad chess player?" Gu Tongxiang retorted.
Gu Weijing shook his head when he saw two elders teasing each other in the yard.
He could only smile and said softly: "I think it's good for the old man to have a hobby. My grandpa has made great progress in learning this kind of painting."
"Huh, I'm just being sentimental! Just let your grandpa get used to it. When he can't figure out why, and becomes depressed and falls ill, you'll be happy."
Old Man Wu became even more unhappy after hearing this.
He lightly slapped Gu Weijing on the back who was pouring him tea, stood up from his horse, and came to Gu Tongxiang's side, hoping to persuade him something.
"No need, I appreciate your kindness."
Mr. Gu waved his hand, raised his chin slightly towards the pile of rice paper on the long table, and said with a very arrogant expression: "Go and take a closer look at what three days of farewell is."
"No...are you serious?"
Now Old Man Wu was really a little puzzled.
Looking at Gu Tongxiang's proud look, could it be that he was thinking of a way out?
Old man Wu didn't believe it.
"Don't say that I look down on you. Those big guys with real skills in the National Artists Association, Castiglione can't just imitate them. Even Vice President Miao probably doesn't have this ability."
Myanmar National Art Association, the parent department of Yangon Painting and Calligraphy Association.
It is directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture of the government. It is also the highest courtesy that the artist group in this land can receive in official status. It belongs to the type of national treasure.
No matter how poor Myanmar is,
It is also among the top 30 countries in the world in terms of population, and its population is actually quite large.
There are 50 to 60 million people in the entire country. If you choose a general among the dwarfs, you can choose some famous painters if you choose one among tens of millions of people.
Vice President Miao is such a famous painter.
The National Artists Association has two vice-presidents, one is an important member of the Ministry of Culture, and the other is him.
Vice President Miao once developed in Paris for a period of time.
Fortunately, I signed a contract with a third-tier gallery in France, which has some international reputation.
There is even a recommendation page for him in the buyer's column of Oil Painting magazine, with a recommendation index of two stars, half a star higher than Taro Komatsu's one and a half stars.
He has also won awards at local city biennales in Myanmar, which is incomparable with major exhibitions such as those in Eastern Xia and Japan. But in Yangon, he is also a major artist in the martial arts world.
"Vice President Miao mainly paints oil paintings and watercolors, and he doesn't match Castiglione."
Mr. Gu smiled, walked over, and gently unfolded all the rice papers that were covered together next to him.
In addition to the peonies that are not finished on the table, there are also peonies, chrysanthemums, gardenias that were painted yesterday afternoon...
"Brother, let me open your eyes."
"oh!"
When the rice paper came into view, Old Man Wu let out a soft cry and his expression changed slightly.
Looking at the chaotic flowers in front of me,
The expression on his face that was one part curious and one part looking at a joke froze in an instant.
like……
It looks very chewy!
The feel of the pen and ink on the rice paper in front of him was completely different from the failed imitations he had seen from Old Man Gu.
"What magic elixir have you taken?"
Old man Wu was so shocked that he wished he could put a light bulb in his mouth.
"Just say it's okay."
Gu Tongxiang rubbed his hands and looked at the old neighbor who was so shocked that he couldn't open his mouth from ear to ear. His whole body felt comfortable, and he felt light and airy from every pore in his body.
It's more refreshing than having a bowl of sour and spicy Shan noodle soup just before playing chess.
"It's really good, it tastes good."
Old man Wu looked at the rice paper in front of him and felt unbelievable.
"It's really amazing."
Old Man Wu tapped the paper with his finger, his tone still filled with confusion, and his heart was itching: "How did you draw this?"
Gu Tongxiang didn't want to tell anyone about the precious painting skills that his grandson had discovered.
The old man acted like a master from outside the world and ignored the other party at all.
The less he spoke, the more anxious Old Man Wu became.
Overjoyed to see Hunter, the old man seemed to have ants crawling in his heart.
Among the old neighbors who have not seen each other for decades, Mr. Wu has always felt that he is the one with the highest artistic achievement on the tourist street along the Yangon River.
Although the calligraphy and painting are similar, they cannot be directly compared.
But everyone is a member of the Yangon Painting and Calligraphy Association.
Gu Tongxiang is only a special consultant of the Painting and Calligraphy Association, and he himself is a permanent director. Doesn't this make him stand out?
The old man is very particular and never talks about it, but he still has a little vain sense of superiority in his heart.
He has always prided himself on being the only one among old men of his age.
Even during a square dance, there were old ladies vying to be his dance partner.
in the end……
This Lao Gu wants to keep up with the big news.
"If you don't tell me, I'll see it myself."
Old man Wu moved to the side of the unfinished peony, trying to figure out a name from the brush strokes on the edges of the unfinished petals.
"Look! Let you look at it as you like! I don't believe you can figure things out." Gu Tongxiang was happy when he saw the look of old man Wu.
In order to study Lang Shining's works, he went to the Forbidden City on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and walked around a lot, but he didn't see the reason.
The other party just glanced at it and wanted to study it and understand it. It was simply a fool's errand.
Old Man Wu stood like this for several minutes. He wanted to comment several times, but he looked confused and didn't know what to say.
His cheeks bulged up and down, like a confused old frog trying to figure out how other toads could eat swan meat.
This is Lang Shining, the number one palace painter in the Qing Dynasty!
How did Lao Gu draw it?
Master Lang Shining doesn’t want to lose face!
finally,
Old Man Wu gave up helplessly.
His specialty is calligraphy, he knows how to draw and loves painting, but his painting skills are mediocre, far behind Gu Tongxiang.
It is really difficult for him to reverse the painting method.
"Lao Gu, we have always had a good relationship, right?"
Old man Wu pondered for a moment and suddenly sighed. He raised his head and looked at Gu Tongxiang on the side. His eyes became strange, as if he no longer recognized the old man.
"Shall I discuss something with you?" A smile instantly appeared on the old man's face.
"You said it first?" Gu Tongxiang became alert.
"How about a lecture? The Yangon Association still has some funds and can give you a special lecture." Old man Wu said with a smile.
The threshold for holding an art exhibition is too high. Many times, when artists show off their painting techniques and art philosophy, they like to hold lectures or something like that.
Round it up,
This is also equivalent to the youth version of a personal art exhibition.
Apart from anything else, it is quite satisfying just to be a role model to other colleagues on the podium.
"Don't tell me."
Gu Tongxiang's head shook like a wave.
"I don't want you to talk in vain. Well, let's put it this way... The Yangon Painting and Calligraphy Association is eligible to nominate several members to the National Artists Association this year. Of course, I don't have the right to decide. Whether to approve or not depends on others. But I think, If you give a lecture, I will organize activities for you and add your name to the nomination list this year?"
Old Man Wu said seductively.
The National Artists Association is much more prestigious than the City Artists Association. The qualifications are strictly reviewed and the number of people is much smaller. Old man Wu himself didn't even join in.
He knew that Gu Tongxiang had always been coveting the opportunity to be nominated by the National Artists Association.
Gu Tongxiang was really moved for a moment.
Their family has been proud of being a court painter for generations. Now in modern society, being able to join a national-level art association is almost the same.
If it succeeds, Gu Tongxiang will have an explanation after painting all his life.
It's right to start from our ancestors.
But then I thought, this is the painting method that my grandson worked hard to study, why should he let outsiders learn it?
"Not worth it."
Gu Tongxiang still held back his heartbeat and shook his head in refusal.
"Well, I said, there is no store like this after passing this village." Old man Wu still didn't give up and continued to seduce, "I said Lao Gu. Let's not hide our secrets. Although your painting is really good. ...But I think it’s just three or four points of Castiglione’s will.”
This is also the truth in Old Man Wu's heart.
In the work in front of me, Gu Tongxiang's brushwork is indeed of an eye-catching level, but it seems that he is not skillful in mastering it, and his brushwork is still sluggish.
There is an uncoordinated sense of fragmentation in many aspects.
Old Man Wu believed that this was because the method that Gu Tongxiang figured out was not perfect yet.
"Forgeries of this level can only be hung in your gallery and sold to tourists. If you want to become famous for this, you don't have the publicity channels of other professional galleries. You will miss out on good things by holding them in your hands."
"I think the theory of painting methods is still a bit immature. Why don't you share your experience with everyone and think about it as a contribution to the local calligraphy and painting industry?"
Old man Wu really wasn't coveting other people's painting secrets, but he felt that it was something Gu Tongxiang had finally figured out.
In the future, if Gu Weijing fails to learn it, he will be taken to the grave.
What a waste.
"I don't have access, but my grandson will in the future."
Gu Tongxiang shook his head and said resolutely: "Besides, the reason why I can't draw well is because I just studied with the teacher for two days. I can draw like this after just two days of study. The theory of painting is not green at all."
teacher!
Old man Wu was surprised that Lao Gu had a teacher.
Didn't he study this painting method himself?
He just went to Thailand for a tour, but after coming back, he couldn't understand the world anymore!
"No...Teacher, do you still have a teacher? I haven't heard of any great people coming out of Yangon. You are dreaming of a god."
etc.
"Isn't it Master Cao who instructed you? Why did you lick it, old man!"
When this thought popped up, Old Man Wu was so jealous that he almost swallowed his tongue.
Could it be that Mr. Cao really gave me a few words?
Old man Wu believes that Master Cao must be at this level.
However, if you reach this level, if you follow Castiglione's old path, you will be suspected of picking on others' wisdom.
But why should I mention Gu Tongxiang?
How many great artists are crying and begging Master Cao Xuan for a few words of advice.
Who the hell is this old guy? It can't be because Master Cao finds Lao Gu's bald head particularly pleasing to the eye.
"Don't make blind guesses."
Gu Tongxiang waved to his grandson Gu Weijing who was standing aside, "No, my teacher is right there."
Old man Wu looked at the young man next to him who was grinning at him, and then at Gu Tongxiang, feeling really unhappy.
"If you don't want to say it, forget it. It's boring to do this."
He thought the other party was taking pleasure in himself.
"No kidding, I'm serious."
Gu Tongxiang waved his hand towards Gu Weijing, half to show off, half to seriously point to the flowers on the rice paper in front of him, and said: "Grandson, my calyx is painted with empty bubbles. It doesn't feel right. Give it to grandpa." Let’s see what the problem is.”
Gu Weijing looked at the rice paper for a moment, and then compared it with the simpler Western-style heavy color chapter in the "Summary of the Essence of Lang Shining's New Body Painting" that he had told his grandfather.
He probably had the answer in his mind.
Gu Weijing stretched out his finger and pointed at a detail on the screen.
"The inked lines here..."
"stop."
Gu Tongxiang raised his hand to stop his grandson's explanation, looked at Old Man Wu, smiled, and pointed to the door of the yard.
"Brother, I don't want to chase you away, but everyone knows that the Dharma is not taught to the six ears. When you teach your students how to write big characters, you don't want others to hear the essence of it."
"Yes, I'm an outsider now."
Old man Wu rolled his eyes: "Calligraphy mainly relies on practice and copying, not as much as painting. My son doesn't do this anymore, and there are not many students. If Xiao Gu is willing to learn how to write big characters, he can come to me every day tomorrow. Look, I will never chase people away."
Old man Wu muttered, but moved reluctantly.
He went to the door of the yard and stood still, squinting at the movements of the grandfather and grandson.
"Just pretend."
Old man Wu held the rolled cigar in his mouth and watched the show with cold eyes.
Xiao Gu's talent is indeed good, but at this age, it's hard to tell whether he can write articles with just a brush or not.
The reason why he was willing to give Gu Weijing an association status was because he wanted to take care of his younger generations.
Old man Wu never regarded Gu Weijing as a truly mature artist.
As for hearing people say that Mr. Cao praised Gu Weijing... this is indeed remarkable.
But Old Man Wu knows very well the virtues of people in the art circle.
In order to gain fame, gossip changes as it spreads around. Sometimes it is unintentional, and in more cases it is even intentional.
Giraffes, according to word of mouth, can be transformed into unicorns.
This is especially true for artists,
Mr. Cao probably just nodded casually, and the rumors were greatly exaggerated.
On the contrary, Old Man Wu envied and admired Gu Weijing.
No matter how the other person licks you.
Is it Master Cao who licked, or someone from the Shwedagon Pagoda Cultural Relics Administration Bureau in Yangon, who was able to add his own name to the back of the mural No. 17, Mr. Cao Xuan.
It’s really awesome.
To be able to achieve such results is not just a dog licking, but a wolf warrior. It is indeed admirable.
But old man Wu thinks he knows very clearly what the actual level of ordinary high school students is.
Let alone whether you can draw Lang Shining clearly, if you can understand Lang Shining, you are considered a character.
I originally wanted to finish writing this plot, but I didn't have enough time.
(End of chapter)
