Text/Wang Dingjun [US] 1. For and not have Chinese literature and art in New York. In terms of population, writers are the most, painters are second, and calligraphers are second. When it comes to seal carving, it is really rare. Mr. Xin Xiaoyu appeared and everyone competed to t

text/Wang Dingjun [US]

1. For but not

. In New York, Chinese literature and art are the most popular. The most are painters, followed by calligraphers, and when it comes to seal carving, it is really rare.

Mr. Xin Xiaoyu appeared, and everyone competed to tell me. He is a seal engraver from Anhui and a calligrapher. His real name is Xin Kequan, and "Xiaoyu" is his pseudonym.

Why is it called Xiaoyu? He said that art is as vast as the sea, he is just a little fisherman! The implication is that my achievements are limited. When I heard this, I became interested and dating from then on.

At that time, the trend of learning calligraphy and painting in the Chinese community became increasingly popular, and several calligraphy and painting masters had many students. These people are enthusiastic about learning and are willing to spend a lot of money to buy good paper and pens. They ask famous artists to frame them, but the seals are vulgar and only one or two sides.

I advised them to find Mr. Xin, and I said that the seal can show your level, communication, and taste, and must be particular. I said that as usual, calligraphers and painters should have many seals, red text, white text, correct names, oblong shapes, large and small pieces, and use them in conjunction with your calligraphy and paintings.

I said it is not easy to find a famous artist to engrave and print. The famous artist is very arrogant and he is too busy to carve it for him. If he spends a lot of money, he may have bought fakes. Xin Xiaoyu came to New York and was considered a Longwo Shoal. We can take advantage of him when dealing with him.

I brought two stones from Taiwan. The appearance looks like Shoushan stone, but it is actually a Thai product. Taiwanese seal engravers are called "Tailai Stone". It is auspicious if you don't have the best Tailai. At that time, the cross-strait exchanges between the Taiwan Strait were cut off, and it was rare to see Shoushan Stone. Tailai Stone was almost replaced. I asked Mr. Xiaoyu to use this stone to make the seal.

I am from Lanling, Shandong. During the Warring States Period, Xunqing was the Lanling Order. Lanling people are proud of this. My family once had an old seal, which said "Xunqing ruled" and a small seal script, and I asked him to copy it.

Lanling produces wine, another thing that the Lanling people boast about, Li Bai wrote "Lanling Wine Tulips". This seven-character poem was selected as a "Thousand Family Poems" and was listed as a basic textbook for primary schools after the Song Dynasty, so Lanling wine is very famous.

My grandfather has run a winery and his products won a grand prize at the World Expo held in Shanghai. His signature name is "Deyuanyong". My other stone has an elongated rounded corner, slightly curved, like a belt hanging down. I told Xiaoyu, if the four words "Deyuan Changchun" are carved on this stone, Deng Shiru, who is good at using your specialty, will the lines flow like ripples, be wonderful?

Xiaoyu said that if you specify the font style, it is called "points". It is not acceptable to a real seal engraver, but I can make an exception for you. He said Lanling is your first hometown, and Taiwan is your second hometown. You carve the memories you brought from your first hometown on the stones you brought from your second hometown, and the two hometowns are combined into one. I am willing to do such a thing.

is well said! With his words, my seals will not be exchanged.

I once asked him how many seals he had carved in total, and he said there were about 10,000, right? His works are scattered in China, in the United States, and in the world of Chinese culture. This is 10,000 beauty and 10,000 love.

One of the seals engraved by Mr. Xiaoyu, one of the seals engraved is "faith, hope, love", he is loving, he loves art, and loves all artistic populations.

He is from Anhui. There is a mountain in Anhui, Huangshan. "If the five mountains return, they don't look at the mountains, and if the Huangshan returns, they don't look at the mountains." You can tell what kind of place Huangshan is after these two sentences. He lived under Huangshan for six years and formed his seal carving style. He originally lived in Queens and later moved to Staten Island. I had rheumatoid arthritis and had many inconveniences when I met, so I rarely met.

One day, he met on the street. He was in a hurry and could only stand on the street to talk. He said that something was wrong with his eyes and he would be inseparable from seal carving in the future! I was shocked and said that Mr. Zhang Daqian had bad eyes in his later years. He used the technique of splashing ink to splash colors, which was magnificent and created a new world. Mr. Wang Zhuangwei's eyes were not good later, so he used thick lines and sealed like Zhou Ding Han Tile. No matter what, don't stop your artistic creation.

After many years, guqin player Yuan Zhongping called and said that Mr. Xin Xiaoyu has passed away! I quickly wrote a couplet and followed him to Staten Island to attend the farewell ceremony. The funeral was presided over by the pastor, and then I realized that he had religious beliefs.

Yuan Zhongping played the threefold Yangguan in front of the spirit, accompanied by a low moan. I said in my speech that Mr. Xin is an artist, and the artist takes out all his good things to others, and does not have them. He feels very happy and giving is more blessed than receiving. This is also the spirit of a religious person.

2. Zhuangzi’s fish

Chinese people usually use two materials, wood and stone.

The old Jinshi in my hometown called the room where he used to make seals "Mushiju". When I read "Mencius", I knew that "Mushiju" originally meant to live with Mushi and hide in the mountains and forests. Scholars from the Qing Dynasty who came from the imperial examination system clearly meant that they were unwilling to be ruled by the Republic of China.

The "wood" used by the old Jinshi includes peach pits. The book boy grinds the peach pits into a flat surface, and he engraved "no strength" on it. The ancients said that a person has a strength, a weakness, and without a strength, there will be no weakness. Every sentence of an old Jinshi is a classic.

The peach pits are fine and dense, and do not crack or deform. The area is very small, just showing the skill of the seal-controller. The old Jinshi's eyes and wrist strength are no longer young, and he can still engrave "dizzy eyes and pupils" on it. But what if there may be small holes on the plane ground from the peach pits? He can choose the character shape that just needs small holes. The three characters "Mushiju" require two mouths!

Chinese bells, tripods, oracle bones all the way to small seal script, one character evolved into many shapes, and the word "Shou" has a hundred ways to write it. Seal engravers are aware of all characters and can use the terrain of the seal surface to arrange the seal text. What's more, people who treat seals also have the power to create characters. For example, the word "song" can put "pub" on top and "wood" on bottom, which is more like a tree.

Sixty years later, I met the painter Mr. Qiu Bingliang outside the region, and he is also famous for his seal making. Once I visited his studio and saw the seals in his house. He liked Qi Baishi, and Mr. Qi's works were filled with a small sandalwood box.

It was not Mr. Bai Shi who surprised me, but several idle seals carved with peach pits. I never thought that this "old thing" would be seen half a century later or half outside the earth. I never thought that Qiu Bingliang, who was showing off his talents, could also use peach pits to hone his temperament for art. I held it tightly, and couldn't help feeling sad.

He saw my expression and said with a sigh: "I will carve one for you."

This promise is really more important than a thousand gold.

Qiu Bingliang is from Taishan, Guangdong. He is good at freehand scenery. Everyone praises his swimming fish the most, believing that there are Zhuangzi fish in his paintings, while others only have Jiang Taigong's fish in his paintings. The flowers are elegant and bright in color, and the personal style is strong.

In summer, he was wearing a milky white silk jacket and a folding fan opened on his chest. His image was very Chinese, Chinese clothing, Chinese props, and Chinese celebrities.

He has always maintained Chinese nationality for 40 years after immigration. According to regulations, he can take the naturalization examination in Chinese, but he said he feels comfortable being a Chinese. And he said, "Only Chinese can you draw Chinese paintings well." I was shocked when I heard this. This sentence is worthy of learning to write a book. When Mr. Qiu first arrived in New York, he also worked hard and drew many small paintings to send them to the gallery and shopping malls for consignment. The so-called small paintings usually refer to one foot square. The small paintings provided by Qiu are smaller. American families like to hang them above the handrails of the stairs, and they buy them ten or eight.

He sold these paintings with pseudonyms. Later, he became famous and did not need to do this business. A batch of them were stored in his basement, which lasted for thirty years. One day he cleaned up the big picture, handed over the expired small paintings to one of his students, letting his students sell them at a cheap price, and donating all the income to charity groups.

When everyone heard this, it was a good thing to others and themselves, so they took action one after another. I also bought two pictures. Qiu immediately drew two fresh fish to give it to me, expressing my support. This move is also very Chinese.

Qiu Bingliang finally returned to his roots and returned to China to settle down and ended his old age.When literary friends in New York gather in restaurants, they often think of "eating in Guangdong". Mr. Qiu is also a gourmet. Guangdong people love to eat dog meat, and Qiu has his own strengths in slaughtering and cooking.

Once, "doctor painter" Yang Sisheng made an appointment with the painter Zhang Jianguo. He talked about a story about Qiu Bing's interesting story, which can be recorded.

Qiu has a friend. The bitch gave birth to many puppies at home, and it was a big problem. Qiu asked Qiu to hold a big banquet for dog meat, and Qiu Xinran followed it. The dog owner agreed on a date and held a banquet downstairs and tied up a puppy upstairs. The owner sharpened the butcher knife, boiled the boiling water, and prepared the seasonings. Please take action. Qiu put his sword on the stairs, and the guests and the host all waited downstairs with breaths, without hearing any movement for a while.

Everyone went upstairs to check, and saw Qiu lifting his knife and standing with his head down. There was no blood on the knife, and the puppies looked at him with bright eyes. Everyone asked why, and Qiu sighed, "I'm old and slutty, and I can't start."

This story is also very Chinese.

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Source | Yangcheng Evening News·Yangchengpai

Editor | Wu Xiaopan