The Blooming Flowers bring Riches and Honor
The Chinese title is "Hua Kai Fu Gui". The first two characters can be translated directly as "Flowers Blooming" or "Flowers Opening". The second two mean "Riches and Honor".
This phrase and these peony flowers are famous in China. The flowers themselves are sometimes called "Riches and Honor Flowers". These were the favorite flowers at the emperor's court, and concubines would often wear peonies in their hair to get the attention of the Emperor.
The Chinese characters written on this painting include the title as described above, the artist's signature, and year painted (2006). I think we picked this one up on a trip in late 2006, and it was mounted in early 2007. Finally transported to our gallery in the USA a couple months ago. We're not exactly fast, but anything worthwhile in China, takes time.
This is painted on xuan paper (rice paper) and mounted with a silk border at our workshop.
How I found this art...
Visiting an old friend and artist in Chengdu, I notice a woman is politely waiting for me. Soon enough, I finish my business, and leave my friend to work on some art that I would pick up several days later. The polite woman greets me as I walk out. She quietly asks if I would just take a look at her artwork.
I walk over to her little booth and take a look. The work is good, and I am surprised that she doesn't have a studio-gallery like a lot of artists. She says that she likes to sell in the market, and put paintings in the hands of "the common man". It is then that I realize we have a similar philosophy.
I look through her whole collection, and pick out several pieces that I like. Her husband shows up, and I find out that he too is an artist.
I end up staying a few extra days with these two artists as they create a couple of custom paintings for me. The quality of their work is wonderful and I'm so glad I didn't miss the chance to meet them.
About the artist:
The artist's name is Liu Da-Lu. She lives with her husband and young daughter near Chengdu, in the Sichuan province of China. As if fitting the stereotype, her husband loves to paint dragons and warriors, but she paints beautiful women, flowers, landscapes, and animals.
They both live the simple life of artists. Both of them have the attitude that the art itself is more important than money. The honor of knowing that their work will now be on the walls of homes throughout the world is the thing they feel strongest about.
