Chapter 506 - 231: Master Wu: It’s Done!
If you talk about the most outstanding painter in the art world now, it undoubtedly has to be Cui Ruzhuo. His works are collected by leaders from various countries, as well as by the Great Hall of the People and the *** Museum.
This is one of the highest honors for domestic painters.
From 2015 to 2022, he topped the Fu Run Art Rankings, even becoming the world’s most expensive artist at one point.
However, in the past two years, he hasn’t produced many works, mainly due to facing a creative block and serious homogenization issues.
In artistic creation, inspiration is indispensable, so over these two years, he has participated in more exchange forums; even when he painted, he was often not satisfied and destroyed many pieces himself.
Early this morning, he attended an art exchange meeting at an art college, only to be very disappointed. The art college students have somewhat off-track creative thinking, favoring foreign mediocrity.
Who is he? His paintings can be collected by those national leaders, so naturally, he disdains these people, but under the understanding of humanity and worldly wisdom, he couldn’t say anything and only complained in his heart.
At the end of the event, an assistant reported some news: "Teacher Cui, that Master Wu went over to the Chen Family for inspiration, planning to paint while listening to the Ancient Calming Heart Technique."
"Is it the Chen Family you mentioned?" Cui Ruzhuo curiously inquired.
Since two years ago, he has been lacking inspiration, and some time ago, his assistant told him about a Chen Family ancient architecture tour. There, the Ancient Calming Heart Technique is said to calm one’s mind, putting one into an undistracted state, being rumored to be beneficial for creation and suggesting he give it a try.
He originally planned to try it out but never found the time.
He didn’t expect this old man Wu to go first.
Being a master in the art industry himself, he naturally knew about Master Wu, so when the assistant handed him a phone to watch the live broadcast, he took it to watch too.
At a glance, he recognized that the one being observed was this old guy Wu Sheng, but with so many people around and such noisy surroundings, could painting be possible?
Also, being watched by so many people would inevitably affect one’s mindset for painting; could this really be doable?
He even felt that this old man Wu might be seeking attention.
While he was in doubt, he heard a voice chanting a scripture coming from the live broadcast room. With this chanting voice, it was obvious that the surrounding tourists suddenly all fell silent.
It was as if the whole world suddenly became quiet, leaving only the chanting voice.
Cui Ruzhuo was immediately surprised; that simultaneous silence was somewhat incredible. The key was he also saw an expression of enjoyment on people’s faces, as if they entered a special state as rumored.
"Is there really the effect as rumored?" Cui Ruzhuo asked his assistant in surprise: "Why can’t I feel anything listening to the Ancient Calming Heart Technique through the live broadcast?"
The assistant replied, "People online say that recordings have no effect, it must be experienced live to be effective."
At this moment, Cui Ruzhuo saw in the live broadcast that Wu Sheng picked up the brush, showing a look of surprise on his face.
Wu Sheng was indeed very surprised at that moment. He already had inspiration before, but something was still missing. This time, as he listened to the Ancient Calming Heart Technique, he suddenly had another flash of inspiration.
He knew what he wanted now, and after the surprise, he once again returned to a state of undistracted focus, while his hand had already begun to paint on the scroll.
In a state of undistracted focus, all his concentration was on the paintbrush.
As Cui Ruzhuo watched the live broadcast, he was completely captivated. From the moment Wu Sheng began his brush strokes, he felt a difference.
The painting flowed smoothly, with a brushwork like a dragon and phoenix dancing, vigorous and powerful, not simple at all.
Until Wu Sheng outlined the contours of a Long-lived Pine, he was even more shocked.
The Long-lived Pine, usually growing atop mountains and in rock crevices, serves as the core image, showcasing the sturdy and towering vitality of the pine through artistic means, conveying the meaning of longevity, resilience, and auspiciousness.
With just a mere outline, Wu Sheng managed to reveal all of this.
As the painting continued, the main part of the Long-lived Pine became clearer, with its shape robust and the twisting and mottling of the trunk perfectly reflecting the passage of time.
Until the lush pine needles and clear layers, rendered in thick ink or verdant colors, it was not just a showcase of painting techniques, but also a display of vitality.
Just with this main part of the Long-lived Pine, this old man Wu Sheng surpassed all his previous works.
Then he began drawing the background, and though the chanting of the Ancient Calming Heart Technique soon ceased, his brush strokes continued vigorously.
The vigorous Long-lived Pine, along with the mountains and seas of clouds, further created a sense of "peak" steepness and expansiveness.
When Wu Sheng completed the final stroke, through the live broadcast, Cui Ruzhuo knew that not to mention the Fu Run list, purely on the basis of artistic painting appreciation, Wu Sheng’s painting was definitely first this year.
He certainly felt inferior and wanted to give the other party his vote.
"Teacher Cui, will Master Wu’s painting enter the hall again?" the assistant asked dumbfoundedly.
"Hmm." Cui Ruzhuo nodded subconsciously, then immediately instructed his assistant: "Arrange for me to visit the Chen Family. I want to listen to the Ancient Calming Heart Technique."
The kind of transformation Wu Sheng had was apparent to him, definitely indicating that the Ancient Calming Heart Technique is extraordinary.
Not only him, many viewers of this live broadcast could see the power of Master Wu’s painting, even watching through the live video.
Huang Tao was such a viewer. Though not an artist, and even lacking knowledge in painting, he could feel that the painting came alive, as if a real Long-lived Pine appeared right before his eyes.