The Versatile Master Artist

"I’ll stretch the canvas for you."

Hanks wasn’t joking.

His main purpose was to admire Gu Weijing’s live painting skills, but when he said he’d lend a hand, he really meant it.

Hanks spread out the canvas he had taken from Gu Weijing, skillfully wrapped the four corners, then used wide canvas pliers to flatten and fix the four edges one by one.

Swipe, swipe, swipe, in just a few moves, the canvas was stretched.

Neat!

Gu Weijing looked at Hanks with some surprise.

This blonde agent appeared to be the type who mingles with major collectors, champagne in hand, yet his canvas stretching technique was genuinely adept.

Stretching canvas is both technical work and physical labor.

It must be taut and aligned, without distorting.

The trick is to apply sufficient force, but not to pull and tug; evenly apply force to cross-fix at the four corners.

A slightly frail art student often ends up sweating profusely after stretching a canvas.

Gu Weijing poked the canvas in front of him.

Sometimes, after stretching it himself, he couldn’t achieve the perfect parallel alignment of the linen canvas’ warp and weft lines with the easel’s four borders like Hanks did.

"After college, I worked as a junior assistant in the studio of an artist represented by Ma Shi Gallery, where I spent half a year just stretching canvases. My skills are top-notch, tight and elastic. There won’t be any issues."

Hanks smiled proudly when he saw Gu Weijing’s surprised look.

Gallery tradition,

Those of them from the Ma Shi Clan often assist a great painter for a while before becoming full-time agents.

It allows them to build connections and lets them get closer to the artists’ creative process.

With this experience, agents can "think what the artist thinks, feel what the artist feels" in their future careers.

This is practical theory you can’t learn no matter how many art critique classes you take in college.

In the gallery industry, between agent and professional private assistant, there’s a revolving door that allows for mutual transition.

Take Old Yang for example.

He hopes to finish serving as Elder Cao’s assistant and use that stepping stone to directly become a top agent earning millions annually.

"Besides stretching canvas, I’m also good at priming with white pigment. If you need it, I can do it for you next time." Hanks showcased his skills.

Gu Weijing uses semi-finished acrylic canvas.

The surface is machine-coated with acrylic when it leaves the factory.

Many big shots consider acrylic, an industrial coating, to lack "spirituality," stiff and devoid of the sun-drenched gloss of oil painting.

Therefore, they use semi-finished raw linen, manually applying white pigment and lithopone.

Some artists striving for antiquity even use tempera or natural glue made from boiled animal bones.

It’s all about the high status.

Great artists are the center of the art world, possessing the power and wealth to indulge.

Want to achieve good results but find it a hassle? Just hire a few assistants to stretch the canvas and apply paints — it’s no big deal.

"Amazing."

Gu Weijing envied the high-end artist lifestyle where the canvas and paints were handled before you even opened your eyes.

Just a step away from hiring two therapists to massage your shoulders while you paint.

His grandfather and artists like him from poor families used to habitually reuse a single canvas.

This is the class difference.

"This is nothing; there’s way more indulgent behavior from the artists you haven’t seen..."

Hanks chuckled.

The naive small-town artists were indeed quite adorable.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Wanting to travel the world for inspiration by hot air balloon, suddenly having a whim to cry and demand the gallery to assemble a team to follow ancient Indian scriptures, like King’s Lineage and Ramayana, searching for ancient Arab world treasures in the Indian Ocean.

Just imagining those goliath babies’ "wild ideas."

Hanks felt like he was getting heart palpitations.

If great artists’ bizarre thoughts were limited to hiring a few assistants to stretch canvases and apply white pigment, such inexpensive hobbies.

Grand gallery owners would wake from their dreams laughing "hehehe."

"If you need, I can even help you hire an assistant right now? A thirty thousand dollars annual salary can get you someone professional to handle daily affairs, meals, accommodations, and assist you while painting. Ma Shi Gallery can temporarily pay the salary, then deduct it from the art sales proceeds."

Hanks casually asked.

Gu Weijing shook his head.

He’s not yet extravagant enough to spend thirty thousand dollars a year just to have someone serve him painting, booking flights and hotels.

Gu Weijing already had his assistant.

Uncle Ah Lai’s hand, missing a section of his little finger, is unlikely to manage the nimble task of stretching canvas.

Yet he provides great security.

He neither eats nor drinks his share, costing less than five hundred dollars a month, an absolute bargain.

Hanks was just speaking casually, so he didn’t mind Gu Weijing’s refusal.

His attention was already fully captured by Gu Weijing’s actions.

"Aren’t you painting an exhibition piece?"

"No, today I want to further study this Impressionistic oil painting."

Gu Weijing turned on the wall’s supplemental lights and adjusted the color temperature to make Lady Carol’s oil painting on the wall appear as if bathed in morning sunlight slanting down.