Creation Notes of "Happy Harvesting Mustard"

　　 I like to get close to the soil, and the Yaobei Plain is where I get close. The widely grown mustard, potherb mustard, mustard, rapeseed, peaches, dense pears, grapes and other economic crops have enriched our table. Ten years ago, I drew a picture of farmers in Yaobei planting mustard in "New Countryside Sketch" published by Ningbo Publishing House. I often go to Yaobei to buy branded mustard pickles, the city's agricultural products exhibition center to purchase seasonal specialties, and I will also participate in the Yuyao Hemudu Agricultural Fair to buy high-quality agricultural products for my relatives and friends. I also like to eat this fresh and refreshing mustard products. I am proud of having mustard pickles in my hometown. I also know that in the Northeast, the locals know Yuyao just because they ate our Yuyao mustard! Our mustard products from brands such as Cathay Pacific, Tongqianqiao, Beidefu, Xiangximei, Jiujiuhong, Ayaohuang, Guoxian, Jiangqiao, etc. are our golden name cards for Yuyao. I have already deliberately used ink and wash to depict this specialty of my hometown.

　　 April 5, 2014, is the Ching Ming Festival, it is also a Saturday, and it is a sunny and good weather. Early in the morning, I drove an Iveco car to the Yaobei Plain with my father-in-law. My father-in-law was fishing there, and I went to Shaojiaqiu Village in Linshan Town along the way. I saw the scene of every household harvesting mustard, which made me feel that this is a good shot of collecting labor, and there will be a harvest. I just follow the machine farming. Lu came to an interview in a farmland nearby.

　　 The first woman I saw was an aunt. She was strong, old and healthy. She was holding a cutting knife and harvesting mustard. She talked to me from time to time. Today, in the paintings I have completed, I have chosen her as the protagonist. Recall the scene of my collection two years ago: She was enthusiastic, straightforward and friendly.

　　 It is her son who is harvesting mustard in front. He invited me to pick grapes in his vineyard in summer. The one wearing a straw hat on the left side of the screen is the master’s wife, and the one in the middle is a helper. The one on the left is the granddaughter of the aunt, who works as a clerk in a company. A family of four and helpers are harvesting mustard tubers by taking advantage of the rare good weather. Seeing the happy demeanor of the aunt, I can feel that this is a special day: because the family is on the ground, even the little granddaughter uses the rest day to support, harvesting thick mustard fresh heads. Don't mention how happy the old man is! This made me happy too. I planned to draw this group of labor scenes when I returned.

　　 Through hard work, I have completed the combination of ink and sketching "From the beginning to the beginning of water control in Yuyao", which was incorporated into the exhibition "Jiangnan Water Rhyme·Painting and Five Waters Governance-2014 Zhejiang Artists Collection of Works Exhibition". Among my six sketches from life, one is "Yaobei Pickled Mustard Harvest Again". Now I changed it into a huge ink painting. In order to promote Yuyao as the hometown of mustard tuber, praise my fellow Yaobei who worked in the fields.

—— Author: Zhang Zhong May 25, 2016

【Note: Published on the WeChat public platform of Yuyao "Yao Shiguang" on May 26, 2016. Original works cannot be reproduced without permission!】