70 year old Shanghai grandmother got a double degree in painting and calligraphy from China Academy of fine arts! Netizens praise: everyone is great with dreams

What do you mean it's never too old to live, learn and paint? Shanghai people have such vivid examples.

Just last month, Xu anling, a 70 year old woman who lives in Zhujing Town, Jinshan District, Shanghai, successfully graduated from the Chinese Academy of fine arts, majoring in Chinese painting. She received a double bachelor's degree from a Chinese Academy of fine arts, and suddenly became a local news figure.

In June this year, Xu anling, a 70 year old woman who lives in Zhujing Town, Jinshan District, Shanghai, successfully graduated from the Chinese painting major of China Academy of fine arts and got her second bachelor's degree in art. All the pictures in this paper are provided by Jinshan District

So far, Xu anling still clearly remembers her "first day of College": when she walked into the classroom, a group of young students in her early 20s thought she was in the wrong classroom, and some even thought she was the parent of a classmate. After sitting down, the teacher's words broke the embarrassment of the scene: "you can't call her aunt Xu or grandma Xu, because you are all my students, you should call her sister Xu..."

As a matter of fact, it's not a spur of the moment for grandma Xu to go to art school for further study. Born in October 1951, she is a native of Jinshan. Since she was a child, she likes to use pencil to draw from life, describing the life of Daitou farm and ancient town in her hometown; After joining the work, she worked as a mechanic and taxi driver. The busy work and life made her put down her painting brush for the time being, but her love for calligraphy and painting has always been buried in her heart.

Xu's creation at the desk

After retiring, Xu anling, who is free all of a sudden, always feels that there is something missing in her life, so at the age of 58, she picked up her brush again. Once you pick it up, you can never throw it down again.

In 2009, Xu anling entered the advanced study class of China Academy of fine arts for five years; In 2013, she took part in the national examination, was admitted to the adult college class of the Chinese Academy of fine arts, and successfully graduated in July 2016; Xu, who is not satisfied with her college degree, took part in the national adult college entrance examination (college entrance examination) in 2017. With a score of 87 points above the admission line, she was admitted to the calligraphy major of China Academy of fine arts. She successfully graduated in 2019 and got her first Bachelor's degree in art.

Xu anling took part in the national adult college entrance examination (college entrance examination) in 2017. With a score of 87 points above the admission line, she was admitted to the calligraphy major of China Academy of fine arts. She successfully graduated in 2019 and got her first Bachelor's degree in art.

When old people go to university to study with young people, grandma Xu is faced with not only the strange vision of foreigners, but also the pressure brought by the heavy study of traditional Chinese painting“ I learned calligraphy in the advanced study class and junior college. Although the difficulty of calligraphy is also very high, there are relatively few changes. But Chinese painting is different. There are not only landscapes, but also figures, flowers and birds. When drawing flowers and birds, it is required that the shape of each detail is different, and the weight and depth of the pen are different. The flowers and birds in traditional Chinese painting are changeable. The teacher also requires that the pen should be without regret and can't be modified. For me, this is particularly difficult. " Xu said that other students practice 3-4 hours a day, so she can only make up for her deficiency by practicing more and drawing more.

During that time, Mrs. Xu simply did not go back to her bedroom and lived directly in the studio. She practiced until 12 o'clock every night and put up a tent in the classroom for the night; At 5 a.m. the next day, she gets up early and starts the next day's practice. She is always the first to come to the class and the last to leave the classroom.

In June this year, at the age of 70, Xu anling finally got her second bachelor's degree in art. She said lightly that although it is not easy to learn painting, as long as she is interested, she will not feel bitter. Fortunately, calligraphy and painting are interlinked, and the foundation of painting when I was a child is still there.

Today, Xu anling's studio in Zhujing town is full of her painting and calligraphy works over the years, and her family supports her practice of "continuing her painting and calligraphy dream after retirement". Xu anling, a successful scholar, said she would leave part of her winning works to her hometown, because this is where her "dream begins".

Netizen: it's never too late to have a dream!