Chapter 297 I am a great painter!
Taking advantage of the May Day holiday, the Baitan team rushed to Shanghai to support the first solo exhibition of their favorite teacher Wen.
I have been to Shanghai so many times, and this time is the most lively one.
Not only Fang Wei, Cailing and Zhiyi set off together, but also Asheng, Peipei, Yushan and the others.
The six people did not go home during the holiday. They gathered at Xuanzhu Wharf early in the morning and boarded the ferry to Shanghai.
"The transport boat to Shanghai is so much more advanced than the one we usually take!"
Ah Sheng looked very excited, just like Cai Ling felt when she first went to Shanghai.
It was his first time going there, but Cai Ling had been there many times before. Seeing that Ah Sheng looked unworldly, the girl said calmly, "I told you not to fall behind! You never went when I asked you to go on other days! I've almost visited every corner of Shanghai!"
"Is this true? Shanghai is so big, can you visit it all?"
Ah Sheng chuckled. Even though he hadn’t been to as many places as Fang Weili, at least he and Yu Shan had secretly dated many times. If Fang Weili knew that he had secretly kissed Yu Shan, they would definitely be envious!
However, at the age of eighteen, Ah Sheng felt it was worth it to set foot in Shanghai, the distant place of his childhood dream. At least he was far ahead of many of his classmates.
In addition to Asheng, Yushan and Peipei were also going to Shanghai for the first time and leaving the city where they lived. Like curious kittens, they lay by the window, looking at the vast ocean and imagining how the Oriental Pearl Tower would appear before their eyes.
Compared to their peers, Cailing and Zhiyi are very lucky because with Fang Wei's presence, they have been to many unimaginable places over the years. If Fang Wei was not there, they would not be sure of the destination even if other friends asked them to go to faraway places together.
Fang Wei said with a smile: "I am in Shanghai, but you dare not come over to play when I ask you to?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, Teacher Wen!"
"Hey, you make me look so shameless, don't you?"
"Ahahaha! That's right!"
Everyone was joking, but they knew in their hearts that although Teacher Wen loved everyone the same, the other party was still extra special and treated him like his own brother. This was something they could not envy.
"Come on, come on, it's rare that everyone is here, let's take a picture to commemorate it."
"Okay!"
The tickets for the six people were all together. Fang Wei, Cailing and Zhiyi sat on one side, and Asheng, Yushan and Pepei sat on the other side. They sat opposite each other with a table in the middle.
Fang Wei asked a passenger who was good at taking photos to help, and the six of them took this photo of themselves going to Shanghai together when they were 18 years old in the cabin with the sea and blue sky outside the window as the background.
The sister who was helping take the photo was curious and asked with a smile: "Are you going to Shanghai for a trip?"
"Go to our teacher's personal painting exhibition!"
"Eh? Your teacher is so awesome!"
"Hahaha, yes!"
It's more lively when there are more people. With Asheng, Yushan, Pepe and the others present, Cailing and Zhiyi were embarrassed to sleep next to Fang Wei as they did before. They were all very energetic now, so the six of them started playing poker together.
It is much closer to Shanghai from the city. After more than two hours, the towering Oriental Pearl Tower on the other side of the sea appeared before our eyes.
"Wow……"
"Oriental Pearl!"
……
It is still the old place where Chaogang Wharf meets.
But Wen Susu didn't come along today, because the exhibition will officially start in the afternoon! As the protagonist, she is now busy in the exhibition hall.
But he still thought of Fang Weiwei, so he arranged for Uncle Liu and Uncle Wu to drive two cars to pick them up.
After getting into the luxurious car, the five people went straight to the exhibition hall.
We passed through the bustling metropolis along the way and arrived at the Shanghai Art Museum.
As a modern and contemporary art museum with complete functions, advanced facilities and a certain influence at home and abroad, it is definitely a matter of pride to be able to hold my own personal exhibition here.
Fang Weicai Lingzhiyi had been here before. It was Wen Susu who brought them here to see famous paintings by famous artists. However, she never expected that one day her own paintings would be exhibited in the exhibition area.
Led by Uncle Liu, the six people stepped into the spacious and bright hall of the art museum. The air seemed to be filled with the breath of art, and people were instantly immersed in a quiet and solemn atmosphere. Even Ah Sheng, who usually spoke in a very loud voice, couldn't help but lower his voice.
Today, Wen Susu will hold her first solo exhibition in her life here, and has invited many well-known artists, critics, collectors, art lovers, and media to attend.
With full anticipation, Fang Wei and the other six people walked towards the exhibition hall where Wen Susu's painting exhibition was held.
When you step into the exhibition hall, the first thing that catches your eye is the ingenious layout. Soft and even light pours down from the ceiling, just right on each painting, highlighting the colors and details of the works and creating a dreamy atmosphere. The walls are painted in a plain beige color, which contrasts sharply with the colorful paintings, but complements each other, allowing each work to show its unique charm without reservation.
Wen Susu, wearing a formal dress, stood in the center of the exhibition hall, with her long black hair falling naturally on her shoulders. Her eyes were filled with a hint of nervousness and excitement. She checked over and over again to see if there was anything that was not arranged properly. At this moment, she was surrounded by her own paintings, as if she was in an art world that belonged only to her.
Hearing the footsteps behind her, Wen Susu turned around and a bright smile appeared on her face.
"sister--!"
“Teacher Wen——!”
"You guys are here!"
"Come and show your support to Teacher Wen!"
"Hahaha! I'm so happy you guys can come!"
Even though she is running a painting studio now, she also has another group of students, but from the beginning to the end, the students in Baitan Class 2 are the most special in her heart. After all, that was her first time as a teacher, and she watched them grow up and go through those three years of their youth.
"Teacher Wen looks so beautiful today——!"
"Of course, I'm the protagonist today!"
"You little brat, you're always so sweet! But I'm not the protagonist today!"
"Eh? Who's that?"
"It's them!"
Wen Susu pointed with her slender hand, and all the paintings hanging in the spacious and bright exhibition hall were her most proud paintings!
The opening ceremony of the exhibition was at 1:30 in the afternoon. At this time, the guests and audience had not arrived yet. Only Wen Susu, Fang Weiwei and some staff were in the exhibition hall.
Although Fang Wei and his friends had already seen most of the paintings, they couldn't help but take a closer look at them now.
As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and gold makes the Buddha. When these masterpieces of Wen Susu are placed in this high-standard exhibition hall, the level of art seems to have risen to several levels.
The value of art is determined by the degree of recognition, so a certain degree of value packaging is essential.
As a graduate of Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, winner of two gold medals in the most authoritative art exhibitions in China, and a student of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Wen Susu may not be as well-known among the public as Zhiyi, a young writer, but in the art circle, she is already a very famous newcomer.
This time, her exhibition of new works also attracted considerable attention in the art circle.
Fang Wei didn't understand art. Even though he had learned painting from Wen Susu, he could only say that he could copy a few strokes.
There is no particularly specific concept of the level division in the art industry. After all, art is about the degree of recognition. It can be roughly divided into several levels, such as painters, apprentices, painters, masters, and great masters.
The so-called painters are those who have professionalized their painting skills and can make a living by painting;
As for painters, they probably have stronger professional skills in painting and can serve as instructors;
In short, a painter should have his own style, and this style should reach a certain artistic level before he can establish his own school.
A master is a level above a painter; as for a great craftsman, he or she has a very high social status, his or her own school and style, and can profoundly influence the social, cultural and historical values.
Wen Susu is extremely talented in painting. After years of practice, she now has her own personal style that has reached a certain artistic level.
"As expected...! Mr. Wen is already a painter!!"
“Our teacher is a painter!!”
“I was a student of a painter!!”
"Hahaha, you guys are exaggerating. These are all my rude works!"
"Congratulations to Teacher Wen for successfully holding his own art exhibition~! We also brought you a gift!"
"Eh? There are gifts!"
Wen Susu was just curious when she saw Fang Wei open his backpack and take out a framed painting.
The painting is not big, but it is carefully framed. It is a watercolor work, depicting Baitan Middle School. The teaching building in the center of the painting is exactly Class 2. There are a few little people standing on the balcony. She is wearing a long skirt and talking to the students with a lesson plan in hand, bathed in the sun.
"Sister, this painting is for you! It was drawn by Pepe! We will take advantage of Pepe and treat it as a start-up gift from all of us in Class 2!"
"Wow...! I like it! Pepe, your drawing skills have improved a lot!"
"Hehe... this is the gift that everyone agreed on. I was just in charge of writing it."
"Everyone is so attentive! Thank you, Pepe, and thank you to everyone in Class 2!"
Fang Wei also smiled and said, "It's mainly because the journey is quite far, so our class 2 sent a few of us as representatives to show support for me. I will broadcast the news live to everyone in the group in real time."
"Hahaha, okay, okay, you guys are really nice to me..."
"Not even one ten-thousandth as good as Teacher Wen is to us!"
For this exhibition, her friends gave her many gifts, some of which were very expensive. But what moved Wen Susu the most was this small painting.
Her personal paintings in the exhibition hall are mainly divided into two themes. One of them is the "Baitan Series", which she painted based on what she saw, heard and thought when she was teaching in Baitan. It includes the scenery of distant islands, young people, life and dreams. It can be said that the three years of teaching in Baitan really brought unimaginable and far-reaching impact on her life.
The most praised aspect of Wen Susu's painting style is her ultimate control over light. Whether it is the white clothes of the people on the beach or the translucent effect of the sea water, she can use exquisite tones to express the changes in levels. Coupled with her fast and free brushstrokes, she gives the picture a sense of flow.
Her paintings are full of strong sense of light and bright colors, which is due to her long-term outdoor sketching. During the three years of teaching in Baitan, she captured a large number of scenes of daily life, creating a vivid and emotional atmosphere.
To a large extent, the bright feeling you get when you are in this exhibition does not come entirely from the lights above your head, but from each painting after another.
"Pepe! Look! Your drawing!"
In addition to a large number of Wen Susu's own paintings in the exhibition hall, this display wall is filled with student paintings that she specially selected.
Pepe's two paintings were also among them, which made the emotionally stable Pepe very excited. She didn't expect that Teacher Wen would really display her paintings as well. On this rare art stage, her paintings appeared in the exhibition hall of the Shanghai Art Museum together with her teacher's paintings!
Perhaps this is the only opportunity like this in Pepe's life. It should clearly be Wen Susu's own stage, but she doesn't mind bringing everyone on stage together, and the position she is in is still so conspicuous and eye-catching.
"Wow... Teacher Wen, I have no regrets in my life!" "Hahaha, that's too exaggerated! When I was your age, I couldn't draw as well as you! Come on, Pepe! One day, you will definitely be able to hold your own art exhibition!"
"Uh-huh!"
Peipei nodded vigorously. If it weren't for Teacher Wen, she probably would never have thought of learning to paint. She wasn't very good at studying, and she was fat and not pretty enough. The paintbrush, drawing paper and paint were given by Teacher Wen. During the three years at Baitan Middle School, Teacher Wen taught her painting for free... Peipei thought many times that if Teacher Wen had really left that summer, she would probably be working somewhere by now...
"Sister, how do you price these paintings?" Fang Wei asked curiously.
"It depends on the size. There is usually a reference formula, such as length plus width and then multiplying by a coefficient. For example, for this 70*90 painting, 70 plus 90 equals 160, and then multiply by a coefficient of 200, which is 32000 yuan!"
"Huh? Sister Susu, is this coefficient fixed?" Cai Ling asked.
"No, the coefficient increases as my market recognition increases. If you graduate from a prestigious university and have won some awards, the coefficient usually starts at 100. Well, if you are an ordinary painter or artist, the coefficient may range from a few to dozens. It still depends on market recognition."
It is reasonable that paintings with a good resume and background are more likely to be recognized and have better market liquidity. As a newly debuted painter, Wen Susu set the coefficient at 200, which is quite appropriate considering her resume and background. On the point of quotation, she naturally consulted many teachers in the industry.
The prices of these paintings in the exhibition hall vary, ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, depending on factors such as the size and quality of the paintings and whether they have won awards.
Don’t underestimate this price, the quoted prices of most painters’ paintings are roughly in this range, and those paintings that cost millions or tens of millions cannot be painted by ordinary painters!
In fact, for a newcomer, this price is still relatively high, but Wen Susu has no intention of selling her paintings at a low price. After all, she is not short of money. In addition to selling paintings, the most important purpose of this exhibition is to increase her popularity.
There is no need to think that even if you sell your paintings for tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands now, you may feel that you have lost money in the future when you become famous. These things are complementary. The fame of any artist is inseparable from the hype about his paintings by collectors who buy them.
What is being traded is only the property right. The copyright belongs to Wen Susu herself. The subsequent copyright income derived from the copyright is a right that cannot be deprived by anyone.
Fang Wei and the other six were not idle either. They took the time to help Wen Susu decorate the exhibition hall.
Actually, there's not much else to do, just put out some chairs and some drinks, snacks and stuff.
The exhibition officially opened at 1:30 . and will last for a week.
The exhibition hall was deserted in the morning, but became lively in the afternoon.
Wen Susu specially invited many big names in the industry to come and show her support, including well-known artists, critics, collectors and art lovers, various media, as well as her former teachers at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, her professors when she studied at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, as well as her parents and their business partners who came to show their support.
Celebrities who were rarely seen in the past gathered together. Fang Wei Cailing knew what was going on and remained calm, but Asheng Yushan and Pepei were stunned!
"Sure enough, the rumors are true. It was Teacher Wen who paid for the repair of our school's playground!"
"Hush, keep a low profile..."
“It’s really an eye-opener!!”
In addition to the invited guests, the exhibition here also attracted many art lovers visiting the art museum, as well as two art teachers and students from her studio.
Some people stood quietly in front of the paintings, looking at them carefully, their eyes showing concentration and appreciation; others whispered to their companions about their feelings...
Wen Susu is very busy! She is not very good at socializing in occasions like this. She is busy receiving important guests and sharing her creative inspiration and experience.
Occasionally he would look towards Fang Wei for help. This naughty brother was actually leisurely, eating snacks and appreciating paintings.
"Fang Wei! Come here!"
"Ok?"
"Teacher Chen, this is the protagonist in the painting. They are all the young men in the Baitan group of paintings!"
"Wow! The young man is very energetic!"
"Hello, Teacher Chen."
"Fang Wei, just introduce Bai Tan to Teacher Chen! I'll go over there and take care of things!"
"??"
My goodness, you’ve already graduated and you’re still throwing the work to me, the class monitor?
Fang Wei was both angry and amused, so he had to stand on the side of the Baitan painting group and introduce the background of the painting to the guests who came to watch.
"Xiao Fang!"
"Uncle Wen! Aunt Li!"
When Fang Wei turned around, he saw Wencheng and Li Jun coming over with their business partners.
"Thank you for coming all the way here to show your support. Where is your sister Susu?"
"My sister is busy somewhere else. I'm here to help introduce Baitan to Teacher Chen!"
"This Xiao Fang is Su Su's student in Baitan. The person in the painting is him..."
"No wonder I said the young man looked so familiar! When I compare him to the painting, he is exactly the same! No...he has grown so tall! The age in the painting is probably only fourteen or fifteen, right?"
"...Xiao Fang, why don't you tell us about these paintings too! They all said that it was a wonderful feeling to see the people in the paintings!"
"No problem! Our island..."
As the most popular Baitan painting series in the exhibition, this one attracted most of the visitors.
As a native of Baitan, Fang Wei is also the person in the painting, and everyone is quite curious to understand the background of the painting through him.
Fang Wei was talking until his mouth was dry. When he turned around, he saw that Wen Susu was not busy at all. She was enjoying her free time and hiding in the back eating snacks with Cai Ling and the others!
……
The first day of Wen Susu's solo painting exhibition ended successfully.
I had not originally planned to sell too many paintings, but on the first day, nearly half of the paintings on display had already been booked.
Of course, the sold paintings will not be taken away on the spot. At least they will not be taken away until the end of the exhibition, when a detailed sales contract will be signed.
No matter what, this personal art exhibition can definitely be called a huge success!
Even Pepe's painting was sold, and it was sold for more than 3,000 yuan! Pepe was shocked... He thought he was just going to perform on stage to get some fame, but he didn't expect that by chance he also successfully sold his first painting in his life!
The dinner was held with important guests. After the guests left, it was finally time for the teachers and students to relax alone.
Wen Susu's house is very big. At night, Fang Wei and six other people would stay together at her house. Fang Wei and A Sheng shared a room, Cai Ling Zhiyi shared a room, and Yu Shan and Pepei shared a room.
Everyone was in a very excited mood and couldn't fall asleep even if they went to bed early.
Fang Wei played the piano for everyone.
"No dude...! You can really play the piano?!"
Seeing Fang Wei sitting elegantly beside the piano and playing, Ah Sheng almost dropped his jaw!
"The monitor is awesome!"
Yushan and Pepe were shocked, while Cailing Zhiyi puffed out her chest proudly.
"Let's play the theme song of Slam Dunk!"
"That's lame! I won't play it!"
"Play, play, you play and I sing! Four pounds of soybeans! Three belts!"
The girls were amused and laughed out loud. Wen Susu, who had taken off her high heels and was lying barefoot on the sofa in an untidy manner, was also amused and giggled. It turned out that she felt most relaxed when she was with them.
"Are you all eighteen? Do you want to make an exception and drink a little beer?"
"Okay, okay! I want to drink it!"
"Come on, come on, let's go to the balcony, Aunt Wang! Make us some snacks to go with the wine! And you can come and drink with us!"
The first day of the exhibition came to a successful conclusion, and the joy of a dream coming true surged in Wen Susu's heart like a tide.
On the spacious balcony, several people set up a table and raised their wine glasses like the adults.
"Cheers~!"
"Congratulations, sister, on becoming a great painter~!"
"I want to become a master in the future~!"
"Cheers~!"
The wind outside the balcony gently brushed each other's cheeks, bringing the coolness and comfort unique to the night.
Several people sat around a small table filled with snacks and drinks, and the wine glasses in their hands gently clinked together, making crisp and pleasant sounds.
Looking up, you will see a brightly lit city night scene. The Oriental Pearl Tower in the distance is shining with colorful light in the night, and it complements the surrounding buildings, outlining a dreamlike picture.
"Ugh! The beer is so bitter!"
"What adults drink must be bitter! It won't taste bitter if you look at me!"
"Wow Xu Cailing, you are so shameless! We all finished one glass and you only drank two sips! Where are you raising fish?!"
“Zhi Yi…! You can drink a lot!!”
"Eh? I don't feel anything..."
"Finally, finally... I'm so happy~!"
Wen Susu's pretty face flushed. She wanted to shout like she did at the beach, but she didn't dare to shout out loud. So she suppressed her emotions and gulped down another glass of wine before shouting:
"I am a great painter!"
"It's over! I'm finally drunk! I'm not modest anymore!"
"Hahaha……"
Above the bright night sky, an airplane is flashing its navigation lights, heading towards a higher and wider sky.
(End of this chapter)
