As the long scroll stretches, cattle in various shapes and forms come towards the face with their majestic aura condensed in splash-ink capital letters. It is shocking that a self-taught person has mastered the image and charm of cattle to such a high degree. What is most touching is his tortuous and difficult artistic path.
Ding Luo’s family has been farming for generations, and he only went to school in his parents’ generation. At the beginning of the Anti-Japanese War, my father joined the army. From the age of three, his mother taught him how to read and memorize poems, and imprinted the stories of Qinxue in the "Three Character Classic" into his heart. Ding Nao has been associated with cattle since she was a child. She and her grandfather always visited the cattle market. The exposure made Ding Nao develop a deep love for cattle because of their kindness, kindness, hard work, and humiliation. Coupled with the influence of the natural environment and the collection of books at home, Ding Nao developed a deep love for cattle. He fell in love with painting, and cows were his earliest subjects.
After experiencing the confusion of finding no teacher, Ding Nao occasionally got inspiration from reading books. When he was fifteen years old, he sang the words of his Mingzhi: "If you are addicted to painting, you will become addicted to Liangwu, and if you are good at art, you will understand the path; Han Gan painted the horse master's inner stable, and there is a yellow calf in my stable." From then on, the cattle pen and stable became his spare time classroom. Through tireless observation and sketching, he embarked on the road of learning from cattle. When I was in high school, I received Liu Boshu’s letters and guidance, and my confidence became stronger.
After entering the society from the cultural center, he was stranded due to "decentralization" - returned to his hometown and old house. However, Ding Nao did not resign himself to fate and failed to recover. The cattle farm is his place of affection: feeding cattle, drinking cattle, brushing cattle, removing lice, and participating in the dismemberment of dead cattle.
After that, Ding Nao worked as a salesperson, substitute teacher and advertising agent. He deeply feels that life is an arena where he must prove his worth, so no situation can change his belief. Even when he was hospitalized for treatment, he was criticized by nurses many times for constantly drawing pictures and sneaking into the cattle market. In order to get rid of the audio-visual blockage and yearn for the vast world, Ding Nao worked hard on beekeeping technology and set up an apiary for the county. He took the opportunity to realize his long-cherished wish of "traveling thousands of miles" and enriched his life accumulation. "Decentralization" brought disaster to him, but it also inspired his ambition and formed the beginning of hard work.
The indomitable artistic progress has aroused some discussion: "You are already over 40 years old, what is the use of painting! In painting cows, can you compare with Li Keran? In painting horses, can you surpass Xu Beihong? Why bother? You're working hard! You should specialize in writing." Ding Nao, who didn't want to be manipulated, decided to do the opposite: work hard and look to the future.
Huangtian paid off his hard work. After an absence of seventeen years, Ding Nao was transferred back to his original unit. He also overcame many difficulties and visited four famous cattle breeding areas in North China: Shandong military horse farm, Xinjiang pasture, Inner Mongolia grassland, Yunnan oxen and zebu; Guangxi ponies and Hainan buffalo. Five wonderful years were not wasted. It enabled Ding Nao to improve his realm, refine his writing, nurture his desires and accumulate strength.
In the spring of 1984, Ding Nao held two solo exhibitions in Jingxian and Huaiyin. As the year of the Yichou Ox approaches, "Xuzhou Daily" publishes an exclusive interview with Ding Nao on "Working Like an Ox"; in winter, "Ding Nao's calligraphy and painting exhibition" caused a sensation in the Xuzhou Museum, and then Ding Nao entered the Chinese painting training class of the Beijing Academy of Fine Arts.
Finally approaching the art palace, he was dazzled and hungry, determined to regain the lost time. Beijing made him so intoxicated that he never wanted to leave. The publication of "Ding Nao's Calligraphy and Painting Collection".
Ding Luo's "Teacher Niu" is not limited to the external image structure, nor does he hesitate in the face of any difficulties or obstacles. He always moves steadily and steadily towards the expected goal.
Ding Nao follows the path of mentoring cattle - mentoring people - mentoring, starting from life, referring to tradition, and using calligraphy to write about his favorite and familiar cattle to convey his emotions. The pastoral mood of a bowed child is not what he yearns for. He emphasizes the strong temperament of the cow-the spirit of pioneering and pioneering.
In order to live a close life, Ding Nao lived in a rural village in the northern suburbs close to the Niulan Racecourse. He stayed there for a long time, thinking hard and meditating endlessly. There were discarded rice papers everywhere in the corners, under the desk, and under the bed. In his simple life, Work quietly and seek yourself. Just like his inscription: "Fifty Autumn Years of Painting Cows with Cows, Still Not Dismayed by the Wind and Rain, Going Through the Ups and Downs, and Never Regret, I Wholeheartedly Follow the Example of Pioneer Cows."