Panda Bear Wall Scroll

Chinese Panda Bear Wall Scroll

Close up view of the artwork mounted to this silk brocade wall scroll

A simple freehand painting featuring panda in a tree, mounted to a wall scroll.

Freehand style is a traditional Chinese technique that involves a lot of skill. The artwork is created in a matter of minutes, but only an artist with decades of experience can accomplish capturing the essence of nature with such fast brush strokes. The paper absorbs ink and paint quickly, so any hesitation with the brush means that a huge blob will appear and all is lost.

The materials used include uncooked and unsized xuan paper (often called rice paper) with Chinese ink and a little bit of watercolor.

The scroll is made with more xuan paper, and other paper products, along with wooden knobs, a wood top frame, some brass eyes, and a silk blend cloth on the face.

This artwork is completely made by hand! Even the paper is handmade in a process that takes more than a year to complete. The wall scroll was built at our workshop in Beijing where we can ensure the best quality and craftsmanship that you will find anywhere in Asia.

The artist places her "chop" (signature stamp) on one of the wonderful pieces of artwork that she created meticulously by hand.

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.

Liu Da-Lu with her husband and daughter.
As usual, I am the "non-Chinese-looking guy" in the picture.

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.

I take down many notes about the artist, and her paintings as I sit in her little shop in the arts & antiques market just outside Chengdu.