The Life of the Characters in Yu Xining's Works

The white eyebrows in his works are iron, pure, exotic, fragrant in snow and unique in style, just like his noble character;

The red plums in his works are lofty and magnificent, and the dust in Leng Yan is full of charm and burning like fire, just like his passionate artistic heart.

In the face of Mr. Yu Xining's plum blossom pictures with different postures, what impressed us was the noble spirit of "three friends who are old and cold" and the traditional gentlemanly temperament and majestic spirit of China! As an important representative of China's flower-and-bird painting, Yu Xining endowed plum blossom with traditional gentleman culture and devoted his humanistic feelings to flowers, birds, insects and fish. He extended the humanistic realm of flower-and-bird painting to a new height. Recently, the reporter interviewed Yu Xining, approached the old painting circle, and felt the personal style of the master of Chinese painting. Qilu, Yu Xiu, Zhong Ling. The cultural and artistic celebrities bred by the profound Qilu culture can be described as bright stars, and have long been known as "the right side of the sea is ancient, and there are many celebrities in Jinan".

Yu Xining is not only a master of Chinese painting, but also an art educator. He is a master with comprehensive artistic accomplishments such as poetry, calligraphy, painting, printing and art history.

Mr. Yu Lao, 94 years old, has been resting in the hospital recently. Because of his advanced age, he rarely writes, and rarely makes public appearances except for some major activities. Apart from keeping in touch with his family and old friends, he spends most of his time at home and seldom contacts with the outside world. So in the eyes of ordinary people, the artist's life is somewhat mysterious. In fact, if you approach the old man, you will understand that his life is simple, indifferent and returns to nature.

He said, "I don't like excitement. It's such a habit. It is also fun to write some pictures, water flowers and look through past works in daily life. I have developed a habit ... constantly reading past works and summing up experiences and lessons can always produce new insights and new ideas, which is also a kind of learning. "

It can be seen that seclusion is related to age and physical condition, but more is a personal in our nature. He is not used to the noise of the outside world and prefers to immerse himself in his own art world.

Yu Lao's works are expensive in the market and are often sold at high prices. Ordinary people's imagination of Yu Lao's life may have a high grade, and they are fully qualified to live a luxurious life. But it's actually the opposite. In his later years, he tried to be simple, never touched alcohol and tobacco, and had no special hobbies. The beds and chairs he uses are still from the 1940s, and his diet is mainly vegetarian. My family told me that I had bad teeth and only asked for rotten food. As for what to do, he never asks for it and eats whatever he does. Life is always simple and interesting, and there are many interesting things in life and creation. Last autumn, when the pomegranate just came down, his family gave him a big pomegranate, which suddenly reminded him of his painting idea. After painting, he habitually wrote the inscription "Zhu Zhu Su Mei, * * * drama powder". After waking up, he smiled at himself, so he wrote "Pomegranate smiled and I smiled" in small print. Scenes blend and are full of fun.

On Lao's 93rd birthday, the children gave him a toy, a little man who can play guitar and dance. He likes it very much and often plays with it. As long as he is from home, no matter how old he is, he will show it to others, causing laughter. His innocence is obvious. As the "gentleman image" of traditional humanities, plum blossom has always been the favorite material of painters. There are many masters who painted plum blossoms in the past dynasties, and most of them painted plum blossoms as a world far away from the hubbub, aloof and lofty, in order to entrust the feelings of literati who were born.

In Yu Xining's home, there is a saying: "Only Deqin Xiu, three souls * * * one heart." This is a self-encouragement poem he wrote for himself, and Yu Lao claimed to be "the motto of his life".

Yu Xining put forward the "three spirits" theory that the spiritual temperament of plum blossom is backbone, vitality and purity, and painting plum blossom occupies a large proportion in his creative theme. He not only painted plum blossoms, but also wrote many poems for Mei. "I miss plum blossoms and miss me." Mei has become an important part of his artistic life.

According to Yu Lao, he has been to Jiangnan Mei many times since 1930s. Later, I separated from Mei for 40 years for political reasons. During the period of 10 from the end of 1970s to 1990s, he visited Mei in Jiangnan seven times, claiming that "Acacia is predestined".

In earlier years, Yu Lao said, "Plum blossom is our national flower, which is different from ordinary flowers and plants. Plum's spiritual temperament is pure and clear, and its iron bones make people respect. It is impossible to draw decadent plum blossoms. I think the temperament and dignity of plum blossoms are closely related to our national spirit. I want to draw this spirit! " He integrated Mei soul with human soul and Chinese soul, and reached the state of "three souls * * * one heart". This is also the highest realm of the integration of an artist's character and paintings.

There are many short stories about infatuation with Mei. For example, he cut down a Song Mei in Chaoshan, Hangzhou, and was heartbroken. He never set foot in Chaoshan again. He held an exhibition in China Art Museum. When Comrade Qiao Shi asked him "What are the difficulties", he replied: "I don't have any difficulties myself. I am only worried about the fate of two Sui plum trees in Tiantai Mountain, and I ask the leaders to instruct the local departments to protect them. " The name "Meichi" is worthy of the name. A person who is persistent in art and diligent in painting may become a painter in history, but to become an artist, he must have the character and demeanor of a master.

Yu Lao's family took out a photo of 90-year-old Yu Lao bending down with crutches to process a big painting on the ground. After reading it, the reporter was shocked and moved. Yu Lao has an extraordinary dedication to art. According to his family, he is in his 90 s and can draw as long as his physical conditions permit. From the age of 70, he listed "My Ten-year Plan". By the age of 80 and 90, he was still working hard for it, and every five years, he had more specific plans and implemented them every day.

In the painting exhibition of the seventieth anniversary of Yu Xining's ninetieth birthday, he wrote in the preface: "I studied painting since I was a child, and I am not good at words, but I know that stupid birds fly first. The way to manage art depends entirely on diligence and persistence, and I dare not slack off. People are old, but the spirit can't be old, the art can't be old, and the ambition can't be reduced. "

As the crystallization of traditional painting and modern art, Yu Lao's paintings have been selected as state guests' gifts for more than 50 times and presented to foreign heads of state and friendly groups such as the Queen of England. In China Art Museum, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Chinese Painting Research Institute, Great Hall of the People, Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, Capital Airport, Tiananmen Gate, and many art units and hotels all over the country, there are time-honored and fine products.

Yu Lao is used to saying "hand in homework". Although his paintings are expensive in the market, he said several years ago that he would donate his works to the National Gallery. He said: "These works have recorded the track and course of my artistic life and condensed all my emotions and hard work. I want to donate these works to the country and repay the motherland and people who raised me. "

Yu Lao, who has always been pampered, has always been concerned about people's livelihood and art education. He has donated paintings to UNICEF, flood relief, SARS prevention and so on, and donated paintings and calligraphy to society and universities many times. So far, he has donated 65,438+000 works to China Art Museum, and in 2006, he donated 60 fine works of art to Shandong Art Institute for free. He once said modestly, "This is my work donation exhibition and also one of my homework."

As a professor and honorary dean of Shandong University of Arts, Yu Lao also donated his personal savings for many years and set up the Yu Xining Scholarship to reward outstanding undergraduate and graduate students with excellent grades and moral character, and encourage students to study hard and become outstanding artistic talents with both ability and political integrity.

In his artistic career of more than 70 years, Yu Xining showed the feelings and mind of a master of Chinese painting with his paintings and personality.