Cen Zhenping, a 66-year-old water color painter, seems somewhat crazy when creating his works, but there is a method to his madness.

During his nearly half a century of practicing, Cen drew a curving line to show straightness, used salt to color a glimpse of light and even changed a moldy piece of paper into a picture of town on a rainy day.

As a Qingpu native living in an ancient water town, he did all that to show the true beauty of Chinese water towns.

"Many people say they feel bored when visiting water towns, where sceneries are seemingly the same," said Cen.

"But that is because they visit in such a rush and are unable to discover the subtle differences."

Composed with the seemingly same running creeks, small bridges, river-side houses and winding corridors, each water town has its own distinguished soul, stemming from the influence of its own location and varied living habits.

Cen is sensitive enough to seize them.

Out of his brush, a once rich town is showed with its majestic architecture and delicate decorations beside a wide river, while, shabby houses are turned out along a narrow creek of a barren land.

On a rainy day, he sought a messy corner and painted a gloomy mood on a moldy piece of paper. While the sun shined, he stood opposite to a neatly built two-story house and added some light pink on its slope roofs and walls.

He goes so crazy for details that he once stopped by a worn-out house in order to draw arrays of its bricks.

"The paintings without any detail may seem fashionable, but they can not endure long-time observation," said Cen.

"And my paintings can even be useful to architects."

And details are able to indicate twists and turns in lives.

Although each of Cen's pieces represents a peaceful town world, historic ups and downs are traced everywhere in window carvings, walls, boats and even plants.

After looking at his pieces, a friend of Cen said, "I bet you have experienced a lot."

And that is right.

Cen was put into custody during Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) without doing anything wrong. If that would be the only hardship he had pulled through, it was not an easy case to handle.

Several national literary and artistic figures committed suicide during the times when they received great humiliation, but Cen is comprehensive enough to forgive. "That was an irrational era in which reasoning proves to be nothing," said Cen.

He understood the times and sought happiness in prison. He ate a lot and helped paint posts. His optimism ensures him the life-long career in water color painting. And he also got the chances to make it more international.

Five years ago, his painting show earned good feedback in Los Angeles.

He provided many Chinese emigrants a chance to recollect the memories of their missed water towns.

It is a happy experience for him. He opened his eyes wild and toured around the United States.
Cen said the reason that he chose water-color painting instead of Chinese traditional painting is that the former can be better accepted by the world.

Now, he has settled his studio in a wood-made house in Qushui Garden, where lichen decorated trees stood for more than a hundred years.

Cen said people at his age will become weak soon. So to paint more towns, he is now tightly grasping his brushes.

(Shanghai Daily April 11, 2005)