Fal ae Bit Aik FAL AQUATIC LIFE Vegetables, Fruits, Insects and Aquatic Life PaintingsBy Johnson Susing Chow Vegetables, Fruits, Insects and Aquatic Life Book 4 Aquatic Life Table of Contents Aquatic Life: An Overview Small Fishes Small Fishes and Chinese Hibiscus Small Fishes and Arrowhead Flowers Fishes in Abbreviated Style White Fishes A Shoal of Fishes Red Swordtail Red Swordtail (Sketch One) Red Swordtail (Sketch Twa) Lyretail Molly Lyretail Molly and Aquatic Plant (Sketch One) Lyretail Molly and Aquatic Plant (Sketch Two) Angel Fish Angel Fish and Aquatic Plant (Sketch One) Angel Fish and Aquatic Plant (Skaten Two) Fresh Water Shrimp Fresh Water Shrimps Swimming towards the Lett Fresh Water Shrimps Swimming towards the Right Lobster Lobster (Sketch One) Lobster (Sketch Two) Lake Crab Lake Crab (Sketch One) Lake Crab (Skeich Two) Sea Crab ‘Sea Crab (Sketch One) ‘Sea Crab (Sketch Two) Gold Fish Gold Fish (Sketch One) Gold Fish (Sketch Two) Catfish Catfish Catfish with Small Fishes Mandarin Fish Mandarin Fish with Willow Branch Mandarin Fish and Fallen Flowers Carp Carp (Sketch One) Carp (Sketch Two) Koi Vermillion Koi Koi in Different Colours Shells Mussel, Conch, Clam and Limpet (Sketch One) Mussel, Conch, Clam and Limpet (Sketch Two) Tortoise A Crawling Tortoise Mother Tortoise and Childyf RAEN AUT SS MEP LACED » rue o BE CE) SERTEL > ee CAR) EPR > URDN TES RE SE + MURAI ELT VE ~ SPAR + LLL PARR + PORTE SURE A YR = EAS tt Seo mELaL rab = 71-2 HE SCH RE SAB + EPCRA > ACTA + RR ERE aa AF TAPBEAU SEA RERE + AR AO NTMRTOT ORR > CAS AEE A) + SURAT AH + RAL CEGATR APTIOSUA © ae oT DCRR: + LEROY + AERP AACE + ALLA) + ALICIA = Ea ICO AR AT + BERETA» ABIPARR Ie FORMA I + ECAP MR BREAN + fe DAA I ES Rel fect + (LB TESS RE + RASS BS © BEATA T ABA ATT + Bh = DEY + SAL ENCE» EZ PaO + LRN ER EN REA © FEI AN CEPR F > RZ IPRA + OLEAN LEER EAMNTTABY + SLM 8 © AEA ENEBESE » He UIA SRS © SR UPSIE © SURE EGE Tim AOL «SH ANA > BE ‘Small Fishes Itis believed that after the Five Dynasties, Chinese painters were divided into two schools, the Huang (Quan) School which is colourful and voluptuous, and the Xu (Xi) School, which is unworldly and close to nature. Artists of the Xu School were the pioneers of free style painting. They liked painting themes such as wild flowers, reeds, wild birds or fishes, using simple brush strokes to convey life as well as likeness. The painting of small fishes suited the temperament and style of Xu Xi. ‘Small fishes are often found in ponds in farmlands. They swim by in shoals, rippling the surface of the pond. When frightened, one or two or them would jump above the water, making a crisp slapping sound, and then everything would be peaceful again. “Observing creation silently will generate a sense of serenity and complacency.” Life in the bustling city lacks just this kind of tranquilty and peace. Small fishes can be painted in shoals. in a pond, just swollen with the water of a recent rain, land fanned by a gentle soothing breeze, the small fishes are most active. They sparkle and glisten under the sun, their backs shiny and black, their bellies silvery white. They swim to and fro, the head of one following immediately the tail of the other, exhilarant with the energatic vibrancy of life. ‘Small fishes are easy to paint. Training the brush stroke, making it concise and mature is not ‘an easy task, One has to know very wall the movements of the small fishes, when they Tiss their tails, tum, arch thelr backs, or go in circles, and to convey life and vibrancy in one’s bras strokes. The fishes appear one afier another under your brush strokes, in a Way simaar = ‘observing them swim in the river. Your thoughts could easily be led to run away. ‘Some people may tend to feel lonely, not knowing what to do with their time. If one would jest enlarge the scope of one’s activities, even painting small fishes would make one realise what = beautiful and wonderful place the world is