With brushes between their fingers, students at Union Middle School made strokes to form the branches of a pine tree on paper.
Under the direction of Jinxiu Zhao, the students gained more confidence after being introduced to Chinese brush painting — one of the oldest forms of art in the world, which started thousands of years ago in Asia.
“The pine tree branch stretches out like an arm,” Zhao said with a smile before she instructed them to paint the pine needles.
Next, the students dipped their brushes in the ink to make a moon in the night sky. Zhao has been teaching the techniques of the art form for many years around North Carolina and she was happy to add Sampson County to the list. The school received a 2018-2019 Grassroots Subgrant from the Sampson Arts Council for the visit. Art teacher Ashley Knowles applied for the grant, which provided lessons to 300 students. Assistance was also provided by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.
Sixth-grader Kole Bryant was one of those students who enjoyed the lesson, which came with a lesson on Chinese calligraphy, a style of artful writing.
“It’s pretty cool learning about different cultures,” Bryant said.
Along with his classmates, he enjoys art and the lessons taught by Zhao.
“I like it because once you complete a painting, if it’s really good, you feel like it’s an accomplishment,” Bryant said. “You’ll be happy with your work.”
His classmate, Janiyah McGoogan, felt the same way.
“I like that it makes me feel relaxed,” McGoogan said. “When you’re bored, you can just get up and paint.”
Zhao taught Chinese brush painting and different categories involving people, landscapes, flowers and birds.
“Brush painting takes a lot of practice to make it look nice,” Zhao said. “But these students have been doing a great job, which is very impressive.”
Along with the painting lesson and calligraphy, the students learned how to say different words in the Chinese language and ask Zhao questions about her home country. She grew up in city of Wuhan in Hubei Province in China and started drawing at a young age. Her name in Chinese means “the bright future, land of charming and beautiful landscape.” She also goes by Alice, since it’s easier for people to pronounce.
Zhao’s father was a master calligrapher and as a teenager, she watched her mother cut paper with sharp scissors to make tiny designs of people, animals and birds. At 18, Zhao’s paper cutting creation was displayed at the National Gallery of Art Beijing — one of several accomplishments in China.
Zhao came to the United States in 1995 and started teaching brush art and Chinese calligraphy in Chapel Hill. Eighteen people signed up for her first class. After many successful years, she began leading workshops in North Carolina schools for 14 years with the help of Duke University’s Asia/Pacific Studies Institute. She still continues to teach students and teachers.
“It opens a new window for them,” Zhao said. “Art is very beneficial for the students because they use their left brain and it’s also good to enjoy it throughout life.”
Knowles spent several hours watching Zhao teach Union Middle students in November and during her recent return. She said it was a wonderful experience for the students.
“They have all been very attentive and interested in Miss Alice and her presentation and her teachings,” Knowles said. “They really seem to enjoy it.”
She said the students gained more confidence after Zhao’s visit.
“This is the second time she’s been with us,” she said. “At the end, they have so much more confidence in the short amount of time that she’s here.”
Kara Donatelli, executive director of the Sampson Arts Council, said the community was excited about the visit from Alice, made possible by the N.C. Art’s Council Grassroots Arts Program. The organization provides residents access to the arts and distributes funds for the arts in all 100 counties of the state primarily through partnerships with local arts councils.
The Sampson Arts Council serves as the N. C. Arts Council’s partner in awarding subgrants to local organizations for arts programs in Sampson County. Non-profit organizations who implement arts projects in Sampson County may apply for the grant. Donatelli also thanked Knowles and Sampson County Schools for providing the experience.
“This project was a unique cultural arts experience that I’m sure the students will never forget,” Donatelli said.
