Current location:sport >>
Lifelong Passion for Painting Persists
sport11People have gathered around
IntroductionContact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom ...
- Home
- News
- People
- In-depth
- ACWF
Lifelong Passion for Painting Persists
February 5, 2024Chen Xiaoling paints at her home in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. [Sun Zhenghao/Xinhua] |
XI'AN — As a young woman, Chen Xiaoling clung to her passion for painting, even during her most miserable moments.
"When can I paint freely on the canvas without having to worry about my life?" she asked herself hundreds of times while she was selling eggs, making bricks or collecting garbage to earn a living in a village in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province.
Decades later, Chen, now 64, sat in her study against the backdrop of a Chinese landscape she painted. She said she is satisfied with how far she has come. "I have been in love with painting since childhood," she said. "The love has nothing to do with my age or my profession."
Chen said her interest in art was embedded in her genes. "My great-grandfather was a carpenter and good at painting, while my granny and aunt were both paper-cutting experts," she said. "And my two elder brothers both learned art at school."
When she was a child, her second brother used to spread white lime on the slope of a canal and let her "draw" on it using her feet.
In the following years, she would face some of the biggest struggles of her life. In addition to farming, she used to transport coal, sell wool and eggs and even collect trash to make money. While eight months pregnant, she even trekked on a mountainous road for more than 15 kilometers to find a kind of apple that she could grow.
But her tough life would not stop her from seizing every opportunity she had to paint.
Chen got married on a rainy day in 1983. The home she shared with her husband, who was from an impoverished family, had rooms that were fairly bare, without much decoration. On a wall in her bedroom, she spent three days completing a painting that depicted people traveling through mountains and streams.
She finally had enough time to paint at the age of 53 after she bought a new apartment and her children moved away with their spouses. She called herself a layman back then.
"I have never received any systematic training," Chen said.
To learn how to paint, she frequented art exhibitions and enrolled in painting courses both at a seniors university and online.
Once she saw a portrait inside a restaurant and went to have a look.
"The waitress kept talking about their dishes to me. To silence her, I asked for a bowl of noodles," she recalled. The noodles cost her 28 yuan ($4), which she thought was quite expensive. But she saw it as a "tuition fee" to learn painting.
Two things she has never hesitated to spend money on are painting tools and courses. She has spent more than 2,000 yuan to buy rice paper, and more than 10,000 yuan on paintings she liked.
Chen has completed more than 30 long scrolls with paintings depicting how farmers' lives have improved over the past few decades since the country started its reform and opening-up policy.
Surprised villagers would approach her while she painted.
They used to ask her, "Can you fill up your stomach with paintings?"
Chen said: "But after they saw my paintings, they began to understand. Whether they are in cities or in the countryside, people admire those who have real talent."
On the occasions of funerals and weddings, she was always invited to write or paint something for the families.
"She also likes giving paintings to others as presents, saying that art ignites people's lives," said her husband, Xu Keyong.
In her spare time, Chen taught in kindergartens and formed an art society. Inspired by her, other women picked up brushes, including retiree Fu Weiwei.
"Thanks to Xiaoling, I am now enjoying a richer senior life," she said. "Xiaoling encouraged us to be brave enough to chase our dreams, and not to be bound by age or profession."
(Source: Xinhua)
32.3KPlease understand that womenofchina.cn,a non-profit, information-communication website, cannot reach every writer before using articles and images. For copyright issues, please contact us by emailing: [email protected]. The articles published and opinions expressed on this website represent the opinions of writers and are not necessarily shared by womenofchina.cn.
Comments
Magazines
Projects
- 2023 Women Science and Technology Innovation Pioneer...
Photos
- People Enjoy Blooming Tulips in Jinan, East...
- Flowers Bloom Across China in Spring
Special Coverage
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Planet Pages news portal”。http://saudiarabia.intifocus.com/news-6c499944.html
Related articles
Shanghai rout Zhejiang as unbeaten run reaches 10
sportShanghai Shenhua extended their unbeaten streak to 10 matches in the Chinese Super League (CSL) with ...
【sport】
Read moreEntrepreneur Helps Rural Women Shake off Poverty in Northwest China
sportContact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom ...
【sport】
Read moreWoman Pursues Dreams in Countryside, Contributes to Rural Revitalization
sportContact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom ...
【sport】
Read more
Popular articles
- Badosa shows signs of her old form in a win over Andreeva at the Italian Open
- Young Chinese Devoted to Protecting Agricultural Heritages
- Zhang Dongxiang: Leading Volunteers in Helping Residents Solve Difficulties
- Yu Chuanya: Mulan on the Ballet Stage
- Why going to the gym could help to stop your voice from ageing
- Chinese Woman Inspires Generations with Revolutionary Stories
Latest articles
Illegal migrants cost the taxpayer £14 billion every year, says former minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns
Researcher Protecting Rare Carp in Qinghai Lake
Building BRI in South America
Inheriting Craft Helps Woman Promote Hometown's Revitalization
Stars quickly go from tight series over reigning Cup champ to big
Uygur Woman's Career on Rise After Bakery Gamble Makes Her Lots of Dough
LINKS
- Climate Change Shrinks Nevada's First Big
- Muslim organisation questions why hate speech law reforms abandoned
- Cruise expert gives his verdict on Icon of the Seas' most expensive restaurant
- Pictured: Twelve jaw
- China declared malaria
- Why the Algarve has been named the top destination for a bargain break in Europe
- Changes to Gloriavale response could risk gains
- Climate Change Shrinks Nevada's First Big
- More toll roads coming, but at what price?
- I do one of the world's most dangerous jobs