Chao News client reporter Jin Meng
Every weekend, a group of "professor-level" sketchers in Hangzhou with an average age of more than 70 years old walk into the Zhejiang Art Museum with sketchpads and brushes to paint portraits for free visitors.
Recently, this "elderly sketching group" has become a hot search, and there are more and more "fans" who come here, and their focus and love have also infected everyone. Some netizens sighed: "It's good to be forever young!" ”
Aging does not leave anyone, how to find happiness in the long time of aging, this elderly sketching group has given its own answer.
Unexpectedly, the elderly sketching group became popular
"This grandfather painted me very beautifully, I want to go back and put it on my desk."
On the morning of July 28, when the Chao News reporter walked into the Zhejiang Art Museum, a girl was holding a freshly drawn sketch portrait and asked her mother to take a picture of her with her mobile phone.
Photo by reporter Jin Meng
"I've seen this elderly sketching group on the Internet before, and today I brought my children to see the exhibition, but I didn't expect to meet it by chance." Ms. Chen couldn't help but sigh that in the art museum, so many old professors gathered together to paint, this atmosphere is so good.
In the corner of the Zhejiang Art Museum, a large group of tourists gathered, and in the crowd five or six gray-haired painters were painting portraits of several children.
Pan Xiaozhong, 74 years old this year, is the initiator of this sketching group, he was born in an art class, and was the director of art editing at Zhejiang Science and Technology Publishing House before his retirement. In 2013, he began to organize more than a dozen painting enthusiasts around him to sketch together, and this painting has been more than ten years.
"Recently, I have clearly felt that there are more people, and yesterday afternoon it was full of people." Pan Xiaozhong pointed to a rest area of the art museum and said that after they became a hot search, many tourists came to visit, which made him a little unexpected, but he was also happy from the bottom of his heart.
The Elderly Sketching Group attracted a large group of "spectators". Photo by reporter Jin Meng
"I didn't have time to eat yesterday, and the food I brought in the morning was brought back in the evening." Pan Xiaozhong said with a smile that once you focus on painting, it is easy to lose track of time, and it is common for you to forget to eat.
Some people joined spontaneously, and the sketching group is growing
"It's basically one after the other, and as soon as one is drawn, the next model is already seated." 78-year-old Wang Youwen, who is also a member of the elderly sketching group, painted a total of nine pictures yesterday, "Many of them saw us on the Internet and came here to meet them by chance." Recently, there have been a lot of new faces, and everyone has come here because of their hobby. ”
Among the audience, some wanted to leave a portrait, and some spontaneously joined their sketching team, including professional painters, high school students preparing for art exams, and ordinary people who worked hard in Hangzhou but had a dream of painting.
Old Tang is sketching. Photo by reporter Jin Meng
"About half a month ago, I was watching an exhibition at an art museum, and I accidentally saw this group of old people sketching, and I really wanted to join them." Tang, who is in his 50s, is from Henan and now works as a plumber in Hangzhou.
This is the second time that Lao Tang has come to sketch, he feels that there is no pressure to paint here, the atmosphere is very relaxed, and he can communicate and learn from these teachers while painting, and improve his painting level. "Usually the work is relatively monotonous, and having the hobby of painting is also a joy in life."
They use "Joy for All" to open up another kind of old age
After each painting, Wu Zhaoli would take a photo with the "model" and give them the painting.
90-year-old "Lao Lao Wu". Photo by reporter Jin Meng
Wu Zhaoli is 90 years old this year, the oldest one in the sketching group, and his members call him "Old Wu".
"Others say that my paintings are 'fried vegetables', which are cheap and fast to cook." He smiled and said that his drawings are relatively thick, but the advantage is that he is fast, he can finish one painting in less than five minutes, and he can paint one after another, and he painted more than 70 pictures in one day, which is quite prolific.
Wu Zhaoli used to be a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering of Zhejiang University, and he learned painting at the age of 80 at the University for the Elderly. "After having a hobby of painting, my old age life is very fulfilling, and I have also made progress in art." He said that in fact, painting for everyone is also to use his own strength to serve the society and send everyone a happiness.
Happiness is the purpose of this elderly sketching group today.
Pan Xiaozhong told reporters that the original creation of the sketching group was to improve through mutual discussion and learning, but after more than ten years, this small team has grown to a large team of more than 260 people, and now there are not only professional art teachers and practitioners, but also many other elderly people from all walks of life, all of whom have gathered together because of their hobby of painting.
"I think happiness is the first and improvement is the second." He said that it is better to be happy alone than to be happy with everyone, compared to painting at home alone, attracting more and more elderly people who love painting to join together, and some even start from scratch, everyone discusses and learns from each other, and can be more happy in improving.
Pan Xiaozhong is painting. Photo by reporter Jin Meng
"It's nice to be recognized, and it's nice for people to like our paintings." Pan Xiaozhong said that whether it is painting or dancing, there is a thing that you love, which is actually a kind of life attitude. "Painting quietly, everyone can learn from each other, and you can also bring a little contribution to society, such an old age life is quite meaningful."
Another group member, Wang Youwen, was formerly a professor of science and engineering at Zhejiang University and belonged to "cross-border" enthusiasts. He said that painting has been a hobby since childhood, but after he became busy with his studies and work, he rarely painted, until he retired, and picked up this hobby again. This year, he has already painted hundreds of portraits.
Wang Youwen is painting. Photo by reporter Jin Meng
"Just now a child behind me said that sketching can be so beautiful, and I have to learn to draw hard." He thinks that a painting, especially for children and young people, is like a seed, and if it can arouse everyone's love for art, it is the most meaningful thing.
Wang Youwen said that counting the days at home will always seem very long, and there is a love and can always persevere, in fact, it is very happy: "Painting is already a part of my life, and I will continue to paint." ”
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