Painting the sunset red
2024-08-15
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Original title: Liu Jun, head of Liu Jun Art Studio (lead)
Painting the Sunset Red (Theme)
Beijing Daily reporter Wang Tianqi
"The uncles and aunts are much older than me, but they are very respectful to the teacher. Their serious attitude and enthusiasm make me feel that I must teach them well."
——Liu Jun
"You painted this pomegranate very well. It's full and the colors are well blended."
"I'm still a little short of the lotus level. Let's ask the teacher after class."
On Monday morning, at the Happy Old Age Station in Xiaxishi Village, Beishicao Town, Shunyi District, the "students" were enthusiastically discussing the homework assigned by the teacher after the last class. What is unusual is that these "students" are not children, but white-haired old people. This is a class for teaching painting to the elderly and young people in the village on a voluntary basis. The teacher is Liu Jun. Liu Jun graduated from Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts and devoted himself to studying Chinese painting. In 2013, he founded a painting studio in Beishicao Town, Shunyi District. Originally, it mainly offered painting training courses for children. Unexpectedly, the arrival of an old man opened up Liu Jun's public welfare career.
Liu Jun (left) teaches the elderly in the calligraphy and painting class.
That year, 65-year-old Li Shiyun knocked on the door of Liu Jun's studio. "I thought the auntie was here to consult with her children, but she asked me if she could learn from me." Liu Jun invited the old lady in and asked her about it. He found out that the old lady liked painting when she was young, but because she didn't have the conditions, she didn't learn systematically. Now that her living standard has improved and she has free time, she wants to sign up to learn. "Auntie is so old, but she is still so passionate about painting. It's so rare!" Liu Jun was very moved, so he told Li Shiyun: "As long as you can persist in learning, I will teach you for free!" Since then, Li Shiyun has been learning painting from Liu Jun for more than ten years. "Auntie Li is still persisting in learning and painting, and she has become my teaching assistant!" Liu Jun said with a smile.
Under the leadership of Li Shiyun, more and more elderly people in the village have become interested in painting, and more and more elderly people want to learn painting from Liu Jun. After several years of hard work, Liu Jun's studio has gradually stabilized. Seeing the needs of the elderly in the village, in 2019, with the support of the town government, Liu Jun officially opened a senior painting and calligraphy class at the Happy Old Age Station in Xiaxishi Village, teaching the elderly calligraphy and painting for free.
Liu Jun's senior painting and calligraphy class focuses on Chinese painting of flowers, birds, and landscapes. When the class first started, there were more than 20 "students" attending. At first, Liu Jun was also worried that the elderly would not easily accept new things and might have some difficulty learning, so he tried to choose simple and basic content to teach. But after a few classes, Liu Jun found that teaching the elderly to paint was different from teaching children to paint. "The uncles and aunts actually prefer some difficult and challenging content, so I quickly made adjustments in methods and teaching content." Liu Jun said. The class process also touched him very much, "The uncles and aunts all studied very seriously. They would discuss and learn from each other, and they all did their homework very seriously. I was born in the 1980s, and the uncles and aunts were much older than me, but they were very respectful to the teacher. This serious attitude and enthusiasm made me feel that I must teach them well."
There is a 90-year-old man named Shi Huanjun in the calligraphy and painting class. When he was young, he also loved painting very much and would visit Rongbaozhai whenever he had time. In his old age, the old man especially cherishes the opportunity to learn. Since the first time he took Liu Jun's class, he has not asked for leave for five consecutive years. "The old man likes to paint landscapes. His works have been selected for provincial exhibitions and have been exhibited in Tibet!" Liu Jun is very proud.
Later, Liu Jun opened calligraphy and painting classes in the Happy Old Age Station in Sishang Village and Xifangezhuang Village in Beishicao Town. At most, there were 50 to 60 elderly people in the class. He also led the elderly calligraphy and painting classes to participate in various calligraphy and painting competitions held by the Shunyi District Veteran Cadres Calligraphy and Painting Association many times, and achieved excellent results.
In October 2020, the Beishicao branch of the Shunyi District Veteran Cadre Calligraphy and Painting Association was officially established, with Liu Jun as the branch president. He strives to make more and more elderly people fall in love with Chinese painting. In the "Welcome to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Build the Chinese Dream" calligraphy and painting exhibition held by the Shunyi District Veteran Cadre Calligraphy and Painting Association in 2022, eight of Liu Jun's students, including Li Shiyun, Song Ziying, and Dong Jinfen, won awards. Among them, Song Ziying's Chinese painting "Mantingfang" was also exhibited at the Beijing Veteran Cadre University.
The influence of the elderly calligraphy and painting class is growing. As the Happy Old Age Station in Xiaxishi Village has added projects to serve the disabled, Liu Jun has also established a "disabled calligraphy and painting class" to attract disabled friends in the town who love calligraphy and painting to join. When teaching disabled people, Liu Jun did not choose painting, "because I found that some people's hands shake, so painting is not suitable for them and it is also difficult." Liu Jun chose seal carving and ceramic painting. "These two forms are more suitable for disabled people with the help of certain tools. They can also exercise their fingers, palms, wrists, and arm muscles. At the same time, they can train their hand-brain coordination ability, improve their concentration, and also help them recover." Liu Jun said. When teaching disabled people seal carving and ceramic painting, Liu Jun is more careful. "Sometimes they are anxious if they can't carve or paint well, so they must be encouraged more." Liu Jun said.
Now, Liu Jun's work is getting busier and busier, but he still takes time out every week to teach voluntarily. He regards Beishicao Town as his second hometown, and he has a simple wish in his heart: to do what he can for his families here.
Liu Jun is from Nanyang, Henan. When he first arrived in Beishicao Town, it was the early stage of his business and his economic situation was not good. The landlord was a villager. Seeing that he was in financial difficulties, he took the initiative to tell him: live here steadily and pay the rent when you have money. "Moreover, the landlord not only does not urge me to pay the rent, but sometimes also helps me financially. Aunt Li Shiyun takes special care of me in life. She is afraid that I have no money to eat, and she wants to invite me to her home for every meal." Liu Jun said that without these enthusiastic people, he would not be where he is today. Now that his situation is stable and he can stand on his own feet, he hopes to give back to everyone with his expertise and abilities. "Beishicao Town is my second hometown. I should make some contributions to my family."
Source: Beijing Daily
