Chinese Cucumber Postcard

Chinese cucumber is a brush painting in traditional Chinese free style technique (Xie Yi) with watercolor on rice paper. When I came to China, I didn't know what kind of vegetable it was. So I called it Chinese cucumber. It was only years later, that I found out this is loofah and you will find it very often in traditional Chinese vegetable paintings. Loofah is pleasing to the eye with its curling vines, bright yellow delicate flowers and palm-sized leaves. In Feng Shui Loofah means thought and care. The XieYi technique, also called "Free Style", is painted fresh from the hand and the design of the image is subject to few restrictions. Xie means to write and Yi the meaning. A famous Master of Chinese painting, said that Xieyi indicated the fact of drawing the spirit of the beings. Painting Xieyi uses many techniques of calligraphy which privilege the spontaneity of the line. Free style paintings are thus very quickly carried out. In the style of calligraphy, the image should not be painted, but written. In China the calligraphy always belongs to the painting. It’s like the signature from the artist. On the picture is written "bai jie", this is my Chinese name. You can also buy it without the calligraphy! Check out my gallery.