“Did you really think oil painting was just a simple means of presentation? How many who switched from watercolor to oil painting actually succeeded? I gave up watercolor and turned to gouache when I was barely ten, and I’ve suffered greatly for it.”
“Ask around, how many geniuses like Teacher Shen Jiaru are there in the world? Turning to oil painting in their twenties? Ha!” Yi Nansheng sneered, feeling offended by the trivialization of oil painting.
He felt that his lifelong pursuit was being insulted.
“Alright, this one also makes it to the top ten.” Wang Jian hurried over to include the painting in the top ten lineup.
“Another watercolor is also very good, many brushstrokes and techniques used resemble gouache, the style might not be weaker than ‘Countless Selves in the Ice Crystals.'” Bai Qingquan, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up. She admired the watercolor sketch of the carpenter.
Moreover, this painting could almost be considered a scene and character painting, with two full-body characters and a scene filled with various objects, making its difficulty rank high among all thirty paintings.
“In the competition, having two watercolor paintings was quite surprising to me. But the technique of this painting… Does it resemble watercolor transformed into gouache?” Yi Nansheng turned to Bai Qingquan.
“Hmm…” Bai Qingquan furrowed his brows, staring at the lower right corner of “Carpenter” for a while, somewhat uncertain, and asked, “Doesn’t it look more like gouache transformed into watercolor? After all, this painting uses watercolor paper, watercolor pigments, and the main body is achieved by diluting the colors to create transparency, just with many techniques borrowed from gouache painting.”
“…Who would take a perfectly good gouache painting and switch to painting obscure watercolor pieces?” Yi Nansheng raised an eyebrow.
“In this world, there are always rebellious people, and there are always those who only seek their own satisfaction, choosing what brings peace to their hearts and living up to their lives. They stick to their original intentions, refusing to yield to the market or care about others’ opinions,” Bai Qingquan spoke with a hint of disdain in his tone.
Yi Nansheng was instantly speechless, feeling offended once again!
When did he ever offend Qiu Yuan and Bai Qingquan? Why were these two always so difficult? Always speaking without thinking, what did they want from him?!!
Seeing Yi Nansheng about to explode, the organizer, Wang Jian, quickly intervened with a smile:
“How about it? Do you esteemed teachers think this painting is worthy of being selected in the top ten?”
“With just two paintings, are they both selected? The watercolor market isn’t that big. Shouldn’t we consider the proportion of talent cultivation and market demand when making our selections?” a teacher raised a question.
“I think it could be selected, although they are all watercolor paintings, the styles are completely opposite, which actually showcases the diverse beauty of watercolor paintings. At the artistic level, we should always be in pursuit of breakthroughs. I think ‘Countless Selves in the Ice Crystals,’ if it’s a pure watercolor filled with the painter’s talent, then ‘The Carpenter’ represents the artist’s exploration of different artistic forms. This kind of honest approach is far more valuable than many who simply paint in a dull, unimaginative way.
“Moreover, taking ‘The Carpenter’ on its own, it’s also very well done. Its expression is by no means inferior to ‘Countless Selves in the Ice Crystals.’
“I believe that a true artist is not just about delving deep into their niche, but also about considering the integration of various expressive forms.”
“In this regard, ‘The Carpenter’ is more avant-garde than ‘Countless Selves in the Ice Crystals.'”
Bai Qingquan’s voice was loud and clear, speaking with a powerful, unyielding presence.
“I think without considering these factors, just from the perspective of art appreciation, ‘Countless Selves in the Ice Crystals’ is better.”
“And speaking of avant-garde, the use of color and the portrayal of light and shadow in ‘Countless Selves in the Ice Crystals,’ and many aspects of its execution, are much more masterful than in ‘The Carpenter.’ Clearly, the artist of ‘Countless Selves in the Ice Crystals’ delves deeper and has noticeably higher potential than the artist of ‘The Carpenter.'”
Yi Nansheng, the head of the National Painting Department at Lu University of Fine Arts, is no less reasonable in his arguments than Bai Qingquan, the independent artist.
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, Wang Jian hurriedly spoke up:
“Do all the teachers think that ‘The Carpenter’ can also make it into the top ten?”
After a murmured discussion, the leaders generally agreed.
Thus, the highly controversial ‘The Carpenter’ followed closely behind ‘Countless Selves in the Ice Crystals’ and was selected into the top ten.
Yi Nansheng and Bai Qingquan, both artists, were eager to debate these two paintings further. However, they didn’t know that the paintings they referred to as completely divergent in style actually… came from the same person.
Soon, the leaders unanimously selected a gouache painting, and then, as usual, the very individualistic, stubborn, and self-minded painters began to argue over the three paintings again.
“I think ‘Secret Love’ can compete for the top three. With this level, it could also participate in the young painters competition, right?” a serious oil painter said.
“Although ‘Rime Ice Lake’ is not a figure painting, its technique and style could also compete for the top three.”
“I think ‘Under Jingshan’ can give it a try too?”
“No! ‘Under Jingshan’ is well-painted, but it clearly has that overly strict, instructional feel to it, too much of a craftsman’s touch. Moreover, the style of the brushstrokes in parts of it is completely different from the rest of the painting. I suspect there was some teacher’s intervention in altering the painting,” Bai Qingquan said.
Qiu Yuan’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly whispered:
“This is Ju Lei’s student’s painting.”
“…” Bai Qingquan frowned, wanting to criticize Ju Lei harshly, but after a moment of thought, he held back.
Yi Nansheng walked over to Wang Jian and whispered:
“Has Ju Lei also approached you? How about selecting one of his disciple’s paintings? We shouldn’t make it too embarrassing for him.”
“The craftsmanship in all four paintings is too pronounced, and it’s obvious that the students were pressured by Ju Lei while painting. There’s no emotion visible in their life drawings… Technically, these four students are not bad, but compared to some of the other entries, are they really stronger?” Wang Jian shook his head more quietly, “I just say I don’t have the authority to choose the paintings, it’s the teachers who don’t know the artists of the entries who made the selections.”
“…Hmm, I alone can’t overturn the opposition of the other teachers,” Yi Nansheng nodded.
As their whispers ended, the discussion elsewhere concluded.
“Secret Love” and “Rime Ice Lake” were both selected, “Under Jingshan” was placed back on the ground.
Yi Nansheng pursed his lips, reflecting that one must be cautious when mentoring students.
Sometimes students not only represent their own level but can also affect the public perception of their teachers.
Another half hour passed, and Wang Jian already had 2 watercolors, 5 gouaches, and 3 traditional Chinese paintings in hand.
Wang Jian clapped his hands.
“We now have 10 paintings selected, could the judges please take another look to see if there are any excellent works that were missed, or need replacing?”
“Already filled the 10 spots?” Bai Qingquan suddenly raised an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Wang Jian said with a smile.
“This one.” Bai Qingquan said, picking up “Sunset Over Snowy Mountains,” which she hadn’t had the chance to choose earlier, “I think this one also deserves to be in the top ten.”
“…” Yi Nansheng glanced at it and frowned; this style… was indeed the kind of painting Bai Qingquan would choose.
“This one is also good, but… the style is a bit too dark, isn’t it? For the Qingmei Biennale, might it not fit the temperament?” someone objected.
“I think in terms of basic painting skills, it’s also a bit rough, right? It seems like more effort was put into expressing emotion,” Qiu Yuan also frowned.
“Yes, from a technical standpoint, this ‘Sunset Over Snowy Mountains’ is not as good as ‘Under Jingshan.'”
“…” Bai Qingquan furrowed her brows, surprised that so many people couldn’t appreciate this painting.
“Yes, the ability to express is very good, but the painter is a bit one-sided. This style… it’s hard to say.”
Bai Qingshui took a deep breath, suddenly feeling angry.
“If everyone pursuing art is this conservative, how much time will our nation’s artistic development be squandered?”
She looked around, her voice filled with rage:
“‘Sunset Over Snowy Mountains’ must make it into the top ten. The outcome of this competition reflects the aesthetic standards of Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts.
“This student, with more practice, will certainly not be inferior to other artists. However, the ability to express style and emotion is something that other students might not achieve, no matter how long they practice or how many paintings they create.
“The criteria of assessing every student’s basic skills, how detailed the paintings are, or how high their completion is, are typical of any school’s final exams.
“This is a competition, an initial screening for future artists, not a craftsmanship award.”
Her words were definitive, her tone extremely stern, and she did not mince her words.
The room fell silent, every judge’s brow furrowed.
Some were angered by Bai Qingshui’s remarks, while others fell into deep thought.
Even Wang Jian stopped smiling and began to seriously consider Bai’s words.
Universities also guide and teach children about aesthetics, not just technique.
However…
Bai’s words indeed provoked deep reflection.
Even causing some doubts about the ten paintings previously selected. Yes, this kind of competition and exhibition isn’t about selecting students through standardized exams or end-term tests. The primary criteria should be artistic aesthetics, impactful expression, aimed at convincing and moving the audience of outstanding works at exhibitions.
The top ten selected should all be sellable for the competition to hold credibility.
Those coming to buy paintings will not scrutinize them with a teacher’s eye.
They might observe the style and strokes from an aesthetic perspective, but more so, they are looking to connect emotionally with the paintings.
A painting must be able to stir their emotions, evoke resonance, touch them in certain ways before they consider purchasing.
Wang Jian silently flipped through each painting in his hands.
“Let me see.” Yi Nansheng frowned, walked over to Bai Qingshui, took the painting from her hands, and seriously examined this controversial piece.
After a few minutes, Yi Nansheng earnestly said, “The fundamentals of this painting can’t be said to be poor, but indeed, some aspects sacrificed the portrayal of vertical relationships for the sake of expressing color conflicts.”
“But I guess the artist did this on purpose.”
“When choosing, they prioritized expressing emotion in the artwork.”
“With more refinement in the future, they should be able to balance both aspects.”
He turned to Wang Jian, “Let’s take another look at those ten paintings and replace one.”
“Hmm, do any of the teachers have any objections to the other paintings that weren’t selected?” Wang Jian turned to look at the paintings laid out on the floor.
Everyone then reexamined all the paintings once again. Despite the fatigue, they remained spirited, analyzing and critiquing with focus.
In the end, the judges only swapped ‘Sunset Over Snowy Mountains’ into the top ten, replacing another gouache painting.
The top ten selection finally concluded, and all the teachers breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed like it wouldn’t be difficult initially, but when actually doing it, to be responsible for each painting and to achieve fairness was easier said than done.
“Ju Lei’s apprentice didn’t get selected for any… let’s not tell him for now.” As they were leaving, Wang Jian, holding the paintings, whispered to Qiu Yuan.
“Yeah, let’s wait until the rankings are out.” Qiu Yuan nodded.
“The day after tomorrow we have to start judging for the top three places, and this period has really been draining.” Wang Jian sighed. After selecting the top placements, there might still be many challenges from famous teachers who sent their students’ paintings, calming those concerns, and then arranging the award ceremony.
Later, he would lead all the participants attending the award ceremony on visits to several art galleries in Beijing, then write and submit promotional articles.
They also needed to send out invitations for the exhibition after the new year, and hurry to set up the exhibition center. The selected 30 paintings would be uniformly framed and placed in the exhibition hall…
Wang Jian felt anxious just thinking about it.
“None of Ju Lei’s students got selected… How many of Shen Jiaru’s students’ paintings got selected?” Qiu Yuan asked.
Wang Jian glanced at the top ten pieces he held in his right hand.
All mailed-in paintings were handled by a coordinator who received them, unpacked them, and sealed the edges and back labels of the paintings with paper. The signatures on the traditional Chinese paintings were also covered.
By the time they reached his hands, the signatures were no longer visible.
Therefore, Wang Jian didn’t know exactly how many of Shen’s students’ paintings were selected.
But…
“I heard that Shen’s disciples are all nationally recognized as geniuses; they should have no problem getting selected.”
Qiu Yuan sighed, not continuing the conversation.
…
…
Three days later, after two hours of intense debate, the rankings for the top three were finally settled, allowing Wang Jian’s tense shoulders to temporarily relax.
He wrote the rankings of the paintings on the blackboard and then began the thrilling next step—
Removing all paper seals and uncovering all covers.
The top three winners along with seven other exceptional artists who made it into the top ten were finally to be revealed!
After uncovering everything and quickly glancing at the names of the ten artists, he picked up the top three paintings.
“Third place, Zhang Daye. Tsk, the son of Director Zhang indeed made the list,” Wang Jian announced the third-place winner with a smile.
Amidst the crowd’s knowing yet unsurprised murmurs, Wang Jian looked at the name of the runner-up.
“Runner-up, Hua Jie. That’s a pretty unique name.”
He said this as he wrote the name on the blackboard, meticulously following each stroke behind “Countless Selves in Ice Crystals.”
If this painting had not been a watercolor, it might have had a chance to compete for the championship, but unfortunately, the judges had to consider the marketability of all entries and thus placed it second.
However, for a watercolor painting, such a ranking is already a very high recognition by the masters of the art world.
Having written Hua Jie’s name, Wang Jian turned his head with a smile, ready to announce the first place.
As he reached out to the first place artwork, his gaze suddenly fell on the watercolor painting that ranked sixth.
After the paper seal was removed, the name card was flipped over, now facing up, right in front of Wang Jian.
The two characters were all too familiar; he had just written them on the blackboard.
With a twist of his hand in mid-air, originally reaching for the first place painting, he instead touched the sixth place painting.
He lifted it, flipped it to the back to check, and then back to the front… No mistake.
【Carpenter — Hua Jie (Selected by Teacher Shen Jiaru)】
The painting was indeed “Carpenter”, and the name following the dash was indeed Hua Jie, both selected by Teacher Shen Jiaru.
He then picked up the runner-up painting and compared the handwriting on both name cards, both neat and tidy, obviously signed by the same person.
Wang Jian suddenly swallowed, then his gaze blankly shifted to the other judges sitting in the large conference room.
“?”
“?”
The judges returned his gaze, not understanding what was wrong.
“What’s the matter?” a judge asked.
Wang Jian opened his mouth but found himself voiceless.
How could this be… How could there be two paintings by Hua Jie?
“Having this name, and all being students of Teacher Shen, it couldn’t possibly be two different people, right?”
He lifted the two paintings in front of himself, incredulously shifting his gaze from the one on the left to the one on the right.
These two watercolor paintings! Could they really be from the same person???
“…” Wang Jian felt he had completely lost the ability to speak.
The announcement of the selected participants had to be paused.
A few minutes later, Wang Jian was utterly dumbfounded.
Not two paintings!
No!
Three!
It was actually three!
From the same person, there were as many as three paintings selected!!!
Wang Jian couldn’t stay calm any longer. He immediately called his assistant coach to bring over the other 20 selected works that hadn’t made the top ten, to unpack them all one by one.
Perhaps among these 20, there were even more and more of Hua Jie’s works…
He had to see!
He was scared!