Gingko tree leave paintings created by Yuan Huan with various Chinese ink and wash designs [Photo/jiading.gov.cn] |
Every winter, Jiading district in Shanghai is coated in the gold leaves of gingko trees, a rare species of tree which originated in the era of dinosaurs and pandas and is now under first-level national protection.
Yuan Huan, a local resident gifted in Chinese calligraphy and painting, recently added her own unique designs directly onto the leaves.
Mountains, rivers, birds, flowers, classic poems, and lyrics are Yuan's favorite topics.
"The idea to draw directly onto leaves suddenly came to me as I passed the Confucius Temple on my way to work and saw ginkgo tree leaves coating the ground," Yuan said.
"I didn't expect that the end result would be so beautiful," Yuan added.
A gingko tree leaf with the Chinese characters "浣砚", which describes the scene of a scholar washing ink stone in the pond, one of the 16 habits of ancient Chinese recluses [Photo/jiading.gov.cn] |