When it comes to my personal artistic path, I have to start with novels. I am a person with a wide range of interests. Influenced by the environment when I was a child, I became interested in calligraphy and painting. In middle school, I had a wider exposure and read more books. At this time, I developed a strong interest in music, literature, drama, and sports. I remember that I was very fascinated by the book "John Christopher Doc", and I couldn't put it down by Shakespeare's poems and plays. I served as the conductor of the school band. I can recite many poems by Guo Moruo and Ai Qing, and I am indispensable on the football field. ------, and later became obsessed with oil painting. However, after going through high school, university, and the Cultural Revolution, I went in a big circle for decades, and then I returned to calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting.
When I was in Beijing, I became a teacher of Mr. Zheng Songxian, who guided me to learn calligraphy. I have put a lot of effort into the official script and Wei stele. Particularly fond of the Hengfang Stele, Wurong Stele, Shimen Inscription, Zhang Xuan's Epitaph, etc.; I also studied the Er Wang, Mi Fu, Wang Duo, etc. I started to learn Chinese painting from Mr. Guo Chuanzhang, and later learned to paint tigers from Mr. Hu Shuang'an. I also went to the homes of teachers Ye Qianyu, Wu Guanzhong and Li Kuchan for advice. Looking back on this period, it can be said that I was studying like crazy. After returning to Nanjing in 1974, he studied calligraphy under Wu Zhongqi and Lin Sanzhi, and traditional Chinese painting under Li Weiqing and Zhao Lianghan, focusing on flower and bird painting.
In the late 1970s, I was entrusted by Director Wang of the Military Club to organize a Chinese New Year pen meeting. Liu Haisu, Qian Songyan, Yaming, Song Wenzhi, Wei Zixi, Wu Zhongqi, Huang Yanghui, Zhao Xucheng, etc. were present. The PEN meeting was held in a lively atmosphere and was very successful. Then the next year, I was entrusted by Director Gao of the Xuanwu Lake Park Management Office to organize the same large-scale pen meeting. In the early 1980s, I was entrusted by Liu Yupu, Director of the Municipal Government Office, to organize an unprecedented large-scale pen meeting at the Second Guesthouse of the Municipal Party Committee. Among the attendees were Lin Sanzhi, Xiao Xian, Li Ya, Yang Jianhou, Zhao Lianghan, Li Weiqing, Zhang Zhengyin, Luo Huaqian, etc., the entire organization works in an orderly manner. Every time I organize an event, I always start planning and operating it more than a week in advance. The venue, materials, tools, vehicles, and service personnel must be in place one by one.
I entered the Painting and Calligraphy Academy on the recommendation of Mr. Wu. The Academy of Calligraphy and Painting was under the leadership of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles at the time. Dean Cao took a fancy to my work ability and asked me to assist the Calligraphy Association for a period of time. Since then, I have used the platform of the Calligraphy Association to do a lot of work, organized calligraphy workshops, cultivated a large number of new forces, boldly organized the Spring Festival of calligraphers and painters with my colleagues to serve the masses, and invited old calligraphers and painters to go out of their homes and work among the masses. Writing on the spot. Then I organized calligraphers and painters to go to the countryside to write Spring Festival couplets and serve the farmers. This move attracted the attention of "People's Daily" and "Guangming Daily", and published articles recommending it to the whole country, which has a wide impact. If you are too enthusiastic about your work, being jealous will cause some unpleasantness. In order to avoid pointless conflicts, I decided to go back to the calligraphy and painting academy, calm down, and immerse myself in creation. The annual "Lantern Festival Pen Meeting" of the Academy of Calligraphy and Painting is organized by me on the commission of Deans Cao Wen and Zhu Daoping. I am an active participant and of course the organizer, and it is a great success every year.
When I was 61 years old, I took the initiative to propose retirement to Dean Zhu Daoping, and gave up the vacancy in the Painting and Calligraphy Academy to young people, so that I could continue to engage in creation at home. At a class reunion not long ago, I was surprised to learn the reason why I failed to join the Party in college. It was when I graduated from middle school that a teacher with extreme left-wing ideas misjudged that I had joined a "reactionary clique" based on a wrong document, that is, I served as the deputy editor-in-chief of a "reactionary magazine" at another school. But this is not the case. Firstly, this magazine is not reactionary, but a publication for literature lovers; secondly, the editor-in-chief of this magazine (a junior high school classmate) once came to No. 1 Middle School to hire me. The conversation lasted less than 10 minutes, but I did not agree. But they could not cross out the three words "Liu Rusheng" on their own list, that's all. So in my file, charges such as "participating in a small reactionary group" appeared.
I have been organizing the "Chinese Painters and Calligraphers New Year PEN Club" for eight years, and more and more people are participating, because colleagues need such a platform for calligraphy and painting exchanges and a free gathering. There have been schools of calligraphy and painting since ancient times. It is natural for there to be many different views. Coupled with the drive of interests, friction between calligraphers and painters is naturally inevitable. However, this is not impossible to coordinate. This requires someone to smooth things over and eliminate them. contact. Only by communicating more can we eliminate barriers, and only by uniting can we advance our cause. Every one of our calligraphy and painting colleagues should work hard for unity.
Although I am already a "running seven" person, I like new things.
In addition to studying calligraphy and painting, I learned to drive, learn to use computers, learn to take pictures and produce, and lived a fulfilling and happy life. I like to run around singing in the rain. My wife said that I am an old toy who loves singing, drinking, and going barefoot. Looking back on the past, someone once cheated on me and spread many rumors about me. I ignored them and did not retaliate. I repaid evil with kindness. Some people also say that I am very good and outstanding, but I will never be self-righteous or arrogant. I am very ordinary, but I work hard. Talking about family, my ex-wife Yu Xiangqing was an excellent teacher. She worked hard all her life and died of illness. The two sons she gave birth to are already independent. I have done my best for their growth and let them learn how to swim. I hope they will get better day by day. I have a grandson named Liu Yi and two granddaughters named Liu Jiani and Liu Danni. Liu Yi and Jiani have grown into good young people, and the future belongs to them. On the 15th day of the first month of the year 2000, I got married to Bao Yuanhua, who was 14 years younger than me. She was my virtuous wife. She is a senior director of the municipal government. She is very simple, enthusiastic and helpful. Friends often jokingly say: "You treat the director as your driver and your wife as your secretary."
To sum up the first half of my life, I think God still loves me very much. Although some people used black materials to trap me, there were also two benefactors, Nie Guanghui and Wu Zhongqi, who helped me greatly. I often say: "God is not kind to me, and I am very satisfied." I have a common seal: "God is kind to me." In short, my creative path is still far away, and I am willing to make unremitting efforts to make progress. But I am not an ascetic. I also want to have fun besides work and study. As my old friend Zhao Xucheng often says: "Happy every day."