The Exploration of the Beauty of Two Old Couples: Art Camp Inspiration & Gallery Tour

【2006 Cultural Practice Camp】

Signing up for the art camp felt like an "off-the-rails" experience for me, and my husband's companionship added a lot of "unexpected" variables. In a vacation mood, we quietly arrived at Allen Town.

As the car drove into the undulating outskirts of the town of Allen, the white lane divided the green grass into two green carpets, which seemed to reach straight to the sky. The green grass looked particularly fresh against the blue sky. A European-style castle stands in front of you; Maria Monastery, a stone castle with a history of hundreds of years, is magnificent and solid.

I took the antique elevator that could only accommodate three to five people and went straight to the third floor. A polished pure copper sign at the bottom of the door read "Made in Warsaw - 1935." It seemed like a fantasy, and I was flattered to step into the heavy industry of Warsaw in the 19th century. With pride, I opened the sesame door of the art camp with longing!

The colorful world of the right brain

"We have to start practicing using the right side of the brain. Use the right side of the brain to think about color shades, light and dark." In the first class, teacher Zhou Lanhui said straight to the point.

Then she easily sprinkled colorful flakes and waved the paintbrush in her hand. With a few wonderful dots, the greenery appeared; with two more dots, the woodland appeared lively. Looking at the pen like a magic wand, everyone uses different shades of ink to express the colors of self-awareness. Unfortunately, the ink does not obey the instructions. It is not the wand that is malfunctioning, but the owner is not!

It is obviously sunshine, green space, and lawn, set against a clear blue sky and white clouds, but the paper under the pen turns into a stiff cement floor and scattered clouds without moonlight. Has the right side of my brain atrophied?

The teacher was very tolerant and comforted me, saying that what I painted was "simple innocence" and "the limit of warmth". The first painting we drew with the left brain became the apprentice of the Fauvist painter Matisse, and it was also treasured as a work for the art camp presentation. With my cherished mentality, the more I look at it, the more proud I am.

On the first day, I was really walking on the clouds, and I even said without shame: "This is much easier than the brain-twisting work in the writing camp."

Beautiful declarations and love words

Art is inseparable from beauty, beauty is inseparable from nature, nature is inseparable from people, people are inseparable from creation, and creation is of course inseparable from God, who beautifies the essence of human beings. Teacher Lan Hui guides us to get to the point and express what is in our hearts. As a declaration of beauty, some students couldn't help but say: "The sunrise we see is the timeless nature painted by the painter. In other words, God's creation is beauty."

After this brick was thrown, all kinds of beautiful declarations and love words came out one by one, along with the teacher's suggestions, the records are as follows:

*Symmetry is a kind of beauty:
It has a sense of solemnity and is often used in architecture. It is a kind of complete and warm joyful beauty, such as good flowers paired with the full moon.

＊Balance is a kind of beauty:
It is inspiring, lively, and comfortable in conversation.

＊Harmony is a kind of beauty:
The understanding that comes from one period to another has the beauty of longing that makes people look forward to it.

＊Proportion is a kind of beauty:
The golden section from the Renaissance to the present is eternal beauty, just like the figure of a beautiful woman. Who can resist it without taking a second look?

＊Rhythm is a kind of beauty:

For example, the smoothness of Chinese calligraphy, the music played in the soul of the pen, is not only rhythmic, but also has a long history.

*Repetition is a kind of beauty:

There is simple beauty, like the cycle of the four seasons, the smoothness of the poems, and the repetition of the pagodas, which is the beauty of overlapping.

＊Completeness is a kind of beauty:

Sculptures are masterpieces of complete beauty. It uses space to express the eternity of time, revealing emotions from the inside out and resonating, as if music echoes in the heart.

*Unity is a kind of beauty:

When nature and humans blend into each other, it is the highest state of unity and the ultimate way for humans to interpret the beauty of heaven.

＊Gentleness is a kind of beauty:

When people meet each other with eyes, the kindness in their hearts and their gentle words are like beautiful angels passing through.

The flame that protects with life

These declarations include theories and experiences. It was not until we visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rodin Sculpture Gallery the next day that the right brain gradually woke up and allowed beauty to call every cell. When we were viewing the master's classic works in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, after the teacher's detailed explanation, the paintings began to talk to us!

A painting in the gallery seems to be a flame in the hands of the painter, guarded by life. With the accumulation and washing of time, we can see today the dialogue between the flame and the painter's soul:

1. "The Night Watch" by Rembrandt of the Netherlands in the 17th century. Between the confrontation between light and darkness, a little light hits the body of the man in black, shining brightly, conveying deep emotions and endless hope. This is Rembrandt's outstanding feature. .

2. Post-Impressionist Gauguin's "Yellow Christ Crucified" boldly presents the theme of "Faith, Hope and Love" in pure yellow, painting alive the hope that Christ will be resurrected. This explorer of the primitive world incorporates the mysterious tones of Tahiti into his paintings. His roommate relationship with Van Gogh, coupled with the dramatic gift of ear cutting, left a legacy of controversy.

3. Cézanne, the father of modern painters, focused on the use of outdoor light. "Château de Noir" can be seen from a distance or up close; the intricate shades of trees create a path for the viewer to direct their sight to the castle on the stone mountain, which is his unique painting. A painting of a tree.

4. Picasso’s paintings in his youth and after he matured convinced future generations that art must be built on a solid foundation. He is popular all over the world with his unparalleled talent, energy and revolutionary shapes, and established the art foundation of abstract painting. Together with Matisse, he is known as the greatest artist of the 20th century. However, it is still a big challenge for my understanding.

5. Seurat's "The Bath" uses pointillism to control people's vision (treating the retina as a palette), which is a typical work of the 19th century that unites nature and man; the fusion of nature and beauty set the trend and transformed the painting from Moving indoors to outdoors, the subjectivity and objectivity are simultaneously painted, and the works have a refined poetic feeling.

6. "Dancing with the Stars" by Van Gogh, a Dutch national treasure, is one of my favorite paintings. His self-portraits are known all over the world, but this painting not only makes me long to touch it, but also because of the pale golden starlight, I am not lost. It turns out that Van Gogh's paintings were not the product of his insanity, but the emotions of his sublimated passion.

The "Rodin Sculpture Gallery" in Philadelphia was the second stop on our itinerary that day. Rodin was the greatest sculptor in the 19th century after Michelangelo. "The Thinker" is at the entrance of the museum, and the large-scale sculpture that enters the hall The bronze sculpture "The Tortured" presents six noble French residents of different ages, occupations, and mentalities. With the determination to die, they volunteered to be the hostages of the British King in exchange for the freedom of the townspeople. The painful tension and inner anger of the six people are lifelike from their fingertips to their shackles, from their eyes to the roots of their hair.

There is also the "Gates of Hell" based on Dante's "Divine Comedy". Rodin died before this door was completed. There are many scenes of suffering in the world on the door, which has a strong warning meaning. What scares me is seeing the tragic and disabled people in hell. It was painful, every muscle ached. Rodin endowed the statues with artistry. He carved out the imperfections and the emotions of ordinary citizens, making people unable to help but appreciate his works again and again.

There is no level in art, only depth - life picture album

This year’s art camp has a total of fourteen people, including three couples, so it’s easy to get familiar with them. But we just started to get acquainted, but it was the moment of separation. Fortunately, Yiyiliqing was able to squeeze out the work presentation on the last day, and that day I began to experience the overwhelming creative pressure:

During the eight hours, you have to practice ink and wash sketching with a brush, figure sketching, comment on works, plus practice making folded picture albums (including paper cutting and pasting), and draw the stories in your heart - there is no timetable, just hand in the report card after dinner! That was the expectation of forty pairs of eyes, and we couldn't let Teacher Lan Hui down. We really had suffering to "paint", and we no longer dare to speak out about it.

What’s amazing is that at 6:30 p.m. on time, everyone somehow performed a trick, and fourteen life picture albums were richly presented to the audience:

There is a warm friendship, paired with a tender childlike story; the sadness of early death is touching; the memories of childhood are even more heartwarming; the handkerchief between life and death, because of the company of God, the two good friends will never be together in this life. regret.

There is also the watering of family affection, hidden in the smiles of sunflowers; the hands flying kites are only willing to convey their faith to their children. No matter where we are in the world, the string of the kite must still be in the hands of Heavenly Father and us. Although the world cares about parents, why do they care?

There are many life stories, including miracles and joy! My friend, he has created paintings in the shopping mall for ten years, and has made great contributions to us every time. In a business district filled with professional designers, I sincerely believe that aesthetics is the essence given by God when he created mankind, so I do not hesitate to introduce my unprofessional self to the stage. Art has no level, only depth, and it can withstand time. The test is beauty.

During the four days and three nights at the Maria Monastery, we saw the stunning sunrise and gorgeous sunset. Man has created neat and solemn courtyard walls made of white stone; God has created the lush shade of sparse trees. We deeply understand that if we want to make a date with inspiration, we must "make a date with beauty," that is, we must "make a date with God."

Author profile

Kang Jieli, a Shandong native who was born in Shanghai and grew up in Taiwan. He loves traveling and has visited India, Russia, and Eastern Europe. Although he is a professional accountant, he loves the growth of writing. Currently, she lives in Houston with her husband, son, daughter-in-law, daughter, and grandson. Her granddaughter is the treasure of her heart.