Art at your fingertips: stories and principles in paper-cutting
When I saw that paper-cut, that paper-cut called "Good Friends", for the first time, I could almost smell the grass.
In the center of the painting, there is an honest-looking old cow with its gentle eyes open. The old cow's body is covered with fine flowers, and the texture of those petals is clearer than the hair.
There was a shepherd boy lying on the back of a cow. He stretched out his hand to pull another child. Both of their eyes were full of smiles.
Two magpies rested on the horns, their wings slightly spread, as if they were cheering for them; even the grasshopper on the ground raised its head, as if to send blessings to this friendship.
The paper-cut artist only uses a pair of scissors and a piece of paper to make this moment stay forever.
I stared at it for a long time, and suddenly, I understood a truth in my heart, that is: being a true good friend belongs to that situation, that is, when you are thirsty, someone else will hand you a kettle, and when you are tired, someone will give you a hand. The situation happens to be like that child rushing over with a kettle on his back.
Hidden in paper-cutting is not only the pattern, but also the human touch.
A piece of paper cutting is a miniature world
Our Chinese paper-cut art has a history of thousands of years.
In the early days, people used thin gold foil, leather, and even leaves to carve patterns, and then gradually evolved into using red paper to cut out various auspicious patterns.
Even though a piece of paper-cutting is only about the size of a palm, the skill inside it is profound.
Taking the common "More than Every Year" as an example, the child holding two big carp in his arms has a smile on his face. The carp's scales are in a layered state, and each one is cut very neatly. Even the fish's whiskers are as thin as a needle tip.
The seven gourd children in "Calabash Brothers" carry gourds of different colors on their heads and wear clothes made of lotus leaves. They sit on stone stools and stare at the moon. The scene presents a quiet and warm state.
These paper-cut works are not just decorations. They record the people's expectations for life, they record the people's joy for the harvest, and they record the people's yearning for family harmony.
Behind every paper-cut, there is a story, a history, and an emotion.
The dancing figures on the paper-cuts teach us to cherish
There was a paper-cut that I still remember, and it left a very deep impression on me. In the picture, there was a girl from an ethnic minority, sitting on a felt in a cross-legged posture.
Her skirt was spread out, just like the blooming flowers. She was holding a book in both hands. Her eyes were staring at the pages of the book tightly, and the corners of her mouth were slightly raised, as if the story contained in the book caused her to completely forget everything related to it.
The wind and snow were howling outside the tent, but inside the tent it was as quiet as a castle.
Heavy snow fell on the roof of the tent and turned into water droplets, but she was unaware of it.
Seeing this paper-cut, I couldn't help but wonder, maybe this girl's family is in a poor situation and has no means to go to school; maybe her parents are working in other places, and she has to take care of the housework while taking time to read; maybe she only has this thin book, which she has read over and over again.
However, the look in her eyes when she was reading was so focused and full of desire that it made other people's hearts soften instantly.
Looking back at ourselves, the bookshelves are filled with books, and there are various courses in school. However, sometimes we are too lazy to even write homework, and we will get distracted during class.
This paper-cut is like a mirror. It reflects the gap between us and her, and at the same time reminds me that we should cherish the things we have.
Only when you cut it will you realize the difficulty
In art class, the teacher also asked us to try paper cutting.
I got a piece of blue paper and thought, isn't this simple?
Cut a heart first.
I cut slowly along the line set in the drawing. When the scissors bend in the direction of the paper, my hands are always out of control, and I either cut off or overshoot.
After a lot of trouble, I cut out a love heart. After opening it, I found that the two sides were not very symmetrical and the corners were very rough.
I wanted to cut some small holes for decoration, but I tore the paper halfway through the cut.
Looking at the flowers and butterflies cut by the classmates next to me, I was a little discouraged.
The teacher came to me and took a look at my "work", and then said with a smile: "It will come gradually, and there is no need to rush the paper-cutting." Then she gave me a piece of white paper again and asked me to paste the love on it.
I pasted the heart and it felt empty, then I cut out the second heart and pasted it on. This time it was much better than the first one, and it was easier to cut.
Finally, I pasted two hearts, one on the left side of the white paper and one on the right side of the white paper. Although it was not beautiful, looking at my work, I still felt happy in my heart.
In fact, paper-cutting looks simple, but in practice it requires patience and care. Once you make a wrong cut, the entire piece of paper will be scrapped.
Within a small space, there is a world of its own
The craft of paper-cutting seems to be just a game of scissors and paper, but there is a lot of knowledge hidden in it.
It tests your attentiveness, exercises your patience, and makes you calm down.
A piece of paper-cutting, from conception to execution, from rough cutting to fine trimming, every step cannot be careless.
There are some old patterns that have been handed down, such as "Mr. Dongguo and the Wolf" and "The Mouse Marries a Girl." They are not only interesting pictures, but they can also teach people the principles of life.
There was once a man named Mr. Dongguo who was almost eaten by a wolf because his heart was too soft. This story reminds us that kindness should have a bottom line and be able to distinguish between good and bad.
Paper-cutting is not just a decorative thing affixed to windows. It is the crystallization of wisdom passed down by our ancestors and the memory preserved by the hands of generations.
Nowadays, fewer and fewer people can do paper-cutting. Many young people can't even hold the scissors firmly, let alone cut out those complicated patterns.
I think that in our free time, we should find a place to sit down, take a piece of paper, hold a pair of scissors, and slowly cut it.
It's not to create a beautiful effect, but to experience the wonderful things our hands can create.
What is hidden in paper-cutting is not just patterns, but also about time, stories, and our Chinese people’s most simple love for life.
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