Lin-Hua Chinese Paintings

In Chinese painting plants represent many different things. The lily represents forgetting one’s troubles. The lotus is held in high esteem in Chinese symbolism and represents purity, modesty, and love. The peach and pear symbolize longevity; the plum, good luck; the rose, youth and the four seasons; the willow is the symbol of spring.

Many types of fruit are featured in Chinese painting, including berries and peaches. Peach blossoms are associated with good luck, while the peach fruit is associated with long life.

Chinese painting is famous for its focus on flowers. The orchid, lotus, and peony are three of the most popular subjects of Chinese art. The peony is associated with social status, and luxury. Of course, often it simply represents its natural beauty. The lotus typically represents purity. The orchid represents elegance.

In Chinese painting bamboo, an evergreen, can represent youth, longevity, suppleness, strength, endurance, modesty, summer, and luck. Many Chinese paintings consist exclusively of bamboo because of its importance in China. Even when bamboo is the focus of the painting, small birds may be seen sitting in the bamboo or flitting about the bamboo. In other Chinese paintings, bamboo is simply used as part of the background.

Landscape paintings are perhaps the most popular form of Chinese art, both in China and the U.S. Scenes often include high, steep mountains, frequently including waterfalls or rivers. The impressionism of the Lingnan style of Chinese painting is particularly effective in landscapes. Chinese landscapes sometimes include buildings, wooden bridges, and people in the background. Trees populate nearly all Chinese landscapes and may be in the foreground or background. Some paintings are set by the ocean and almost always include rock cliffs or small but steep mountains rising out of the water. Lake scenes will sometimes include a small boat or a person fishing from the bank. Occasionally the Great Wall of China is seen in the background.

Animals play a major role in Chinese painting. The mammals most seen in Chinese art include tigers, dogs, cats, water buffalo, wolves, squirrels, lambs, deer, horses, bears, rabbits, and even pigs, bats, and mice. Birds are heavily portrayed in Chinese painting, particularly roosters, eagles, crows, egrets, ducks, herons, parrots, and owls. While many types of fish are seen in Chinese art, goldfish and carp are most common.

In Chinese painting, birds are a major focus. Whether in the foreground or background they add color and beauty to a painting.

In Chinese painting fish most typically symbolize wealth. The Chinese word for goldfish is made up of two words meaning gold and abundance, explaining why many Chinese keep goldfish in their homes or in ponds. Unlike in the U.S, the carp is revered in China and represents success in business. Fish are usually shown in pairs.

In China the tiger is known as the king of beasts, rather than the lion. In Chinese painting it represents power, ferocity, and royalty.ces

As with other cultures, the eagle is viewed in China as a symbol of strength and can represent a hero who fights alone. The eagle is very popular in Chinese painting.

The duck often represents wedded bliss in Chines painting, at other times it simply provides an opportunity to highlight a colorful, beautiful, much appreciated bird.

Roosters often appear in Chinese paintings. The rooster is believed to ward off evil and can mean flamboyant.

The mouse plays a large role in Chinese culture. The mouse is most recognized for its fertility and rapid reproduction. Among some ethnic Chinese groups the mouse is revered as a hero, while others associate the mouse with plagues. The mouse is also associated with prosperity. In other circumstances the mouse is disliked because it steals food from humans.

The domesticated cat is prized in Chinese and Western culture. It is valued both as a companion as well as its skill in catching mice. In Chinese painting the cat is often shown playing with other cats. It is also shown playing with an insect or hunting a mouse.

People around the world love watching frogs in the wild as they swim and jump about. They also enjoy keeping them in their homes in terrariums.

Rabbits represent calmness and tranquility and are used in Chinese paintings, because as in the U.S, everyone likes rabbits.

In most cultures, the lamb represents gentleness and something requiring protection. In Chinese painting, the artist typically captures these qualities.

The dog is one of the animals found in the Chinese zodiac. In Chinese symbolism and Chinese painting, the dog is known for its ability to understand humans and the human soul.

The egret is a beautiful and graceful bird that is admired in nearly all cultures. The egret and heron are the subjects of many Chinese paintings.

In nearly all cultures the deer is recognized for its beauty. It seems everyone loves deer because of their grace and gentleness. That grace and gentleness is well captured in Chinese painting.

As in many cultures, the crow can be both admired and disliked. In nearly all cultures, including Chinese, the crow is respected because of its intelligence. It can also be disliked for its loud cawing, which often wakes people up in the morning. In Chinese symbolism and paintings, the crow may represent the sun.

The parrot, perhaps because of its long life, sometimes represents in Chinese painting, a warning to remain faithful in a relationship. In paintings the parrot also provides bright colors and is popular because of its ability to mimic human words.

In Chinese culture, buffalo means water buffalo, not the American bison. The water buffalo is highly relied on in China for many forms of agriculture, including rice production. In Chinese painting the buffalo represents power and strength.

In Chinese painting the bear symbolizes strength and courage.

People are featured in many Chinese paintings, often with animals, since animals have been so important in traditional Chinese agrarian society. People are often the focus of the painting, while at other times a secondary, but important part of the painting.

Bats are highly valuable creatures because they consume huge amounts of insects. In China the bat is highly appreciated and is found as a subject in Chinese painting. In China the bat is related to longevity, happiness, and good luck.

While not a primary animal found in Chinese painting, the pig is used in part because it is viewed as reliable and honest.

The horse, while not native to China, certainly became important during and after the Mongol rule of China, which spanned from the late 1200s to the early 1400s. The Mongol armies were famous for their use of the horse. In Chinese painting the horse symbolizes strength and speed as well as forthrightness and being a “free spirit.”

The donkey is known both for its stubbornness and its ability to carry heavy loads to market.

In the West, the owl is viewed as wise, but in Chinese tradition it can be associated with death. In Chinese painting, the owl often seems to be used simply because humans find them so interesting to watch. Perhaps some of the appeal is that since owls are nocturnal, it is hard to observe them.

People around the world love to watch squirrels scurrying around gathering food and playing with each other. In Chinese painting they are usually represented in pairs.

The art of painting on silk goes back for centuries. Silk has a strength, durability, and texture that makes it an excellent choice for watercolor painting.

Paintings are created on Washi paper that has been mounted onto gold trim art board. This process produces paintings that do not need framing and come ready to be displayed in your home.

Rice paper was developed centuries ago in China and Japan for the purpose of calligraphy and brush painting. It is particularly durable, with a distinctive texture and a slight translucency, that is perfect for displaying dynamic strokes.