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on the Chinese monosyllabic characters. There is a large number of Chinese characters with the same pronunciation, making the Chinese homophonic culture much richer than other languages. For example, fu is pronunciation of both the characters of “bat” and “luck”; pronunciation lu or “deer” is a homophone for “fortune,” and hou or “monkey” is a homophone for “nobility.” The combination of multiple homophonic characters can produce new implications, as explained in the works Heron (for Success), Cat and Butterfly (for Wellness) and Elephant (for Peace).

      There is also auspicious landscapes, which is an important part of traditional Chinese culture, where the landscape occupies a prominent position. It is not only a significant theme of poetry and painting by the literati, but also the most typical image in Chinese geomancy. In ancient China, according to the trends of mountains and rivers, people summed up the three main dragon veins of China, believing that they affected the destiny and future of the entire people and nation. The mountains and waters are spiritual, and it is believed that there are immortals on the mountains and dragons in the waters. Therefore, the mountains and waters are viewed as the incarnations of the gods to be worshipped by believers. Many Chinese people like to hang landscape paintings in their offices to seek smooth sailing or fortune, or to remind themselves of the spirit and mind of high mountains and great rivers. It can be said that mountains and rivers are the biggest mascots in traditional Chinese auspicious culture (Fig. 13).

      Auspicious figures in Chinese culture have a wide range of sources. These come from ancient myths, such as Pan Gu and Nü Wa; from the origin of the Chinese nation, such as Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang; from Taoist legends, such as Jade Emperor, the three stars of Luck, Fortune, and Longevity; from Buddhist classics, such as Guanyin and Maitreya; or from real historical figures, such as Confucius (551–479 BC) or general Guan Yu (?–220). These auspicious figures are popular among the Chinese people, and they have been handed down from generation to generation, continuing for thousands of years (Fig. 12).

      Fig. 12 Bole Identifying Excellent Horses

      According to legend, Bole lived in the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC) and was skilled in identifying excellent horses. Since then, the phrase “Bole Xiangma” has come to refer to one who is skilled in identifying and selecting talent. In this work, the author combines the image of Qianlima (a good horse) and Bole, showing the attentiveness of Bole as he identifies the good horse and the joy of Qianlima when it meets Bole.

      Fig. 13 Landscape Series (Picture Three)

      See page 4 for details.

      CHAPTER TWO

      Preparation of Paper Quilling

      This chapter covers the preparation that must be understood before the creation of paper quilling works, including materials, tools, techniques, and basic elements. Paper is the carrier of quilling art, and thus the most important material. The texture, color, and width of the strips are key to the success of the work. The creation of Chinese style paper quilling does not rely heavily on special tools; some simple tools can be used to make the production process more efficient. “Ten Basic Techniques” is the summary of the techniques used in the creation of Chinese paper quilling art, which can help you get on the path to creation as soon as possible. The introduction of basic elements will enable you to learn how to make the basic elements of Chinese style paper quilling systematically.

      Fig. 14 Happiness on the Plum Tree

      In traditional Chinese auspicious patterns, magpies flying to the top of plum trees are often depicted as an emblem of “happiness on the eyebrow” (referring to the expression of joy captured in eyebrows wrinkled in a smile. “Magpie” is homophonic with “happiness” and “plum” is homophonic with “eyebrow.”) In this work, the artist depicts two magpies resting on the double Chinese character xi (happiness) amidst the plum blossoms. The overall picture is ingenious in composition, bright in color, and joyful in style.

      Fig. 15 Good Fortune and Peace

      In traditional Chinese culture’s focus on auspiciousness, the elephant symbolizes auspiciousness, and an ear of grain embodies prosperity. In this work, the author creates an adorable elephant carrying a large stack of grain on its back. The brocade pattern on the elephant includes the Chinese character “auspice,” which embodies good wishes for one’s life.

1. Materials

      With the popularity of the art of paper quilling, you can easily get specialized strips of paper quilling at brick-and-mortar or online stores. In fact, you can also select paper of various textures and colors according to your preferences and cut it into strips. It should be noted that the selected paper should have certain plasticity and elasticity, with moderate thickness, or it may weaken the artistic expression of paper quilling.

      The width of paper strips used for different paper quilling works also varies. Most of the works in this book use 5-mm-wide strips, which are moderate and fit for most Chinese style paper quilling works. In addition, in some works, the authors use 1.5-mm and 3-mm-wide strips to make smaller elements to present the details better. In large-scale works, we can also choose 1-cm-wide or even wider strips to match the scale of the work, enabling it to stand out.

      In terms of the selection of the background paper, there is no definite stipulation in Chinese style paper quilling. You can select it based on personal preference. White watercolor paper is mostly used in the works introduced in this book.

2. Tools

      The tools for Chinese style paper quilling are simple and flexible. In addition to those introduced below, you can exercise your imagination to locate the tools in daily life for your creative work.

      Curved-tip tweezers are used to accurately grip, place, and fix smaller elements.

      Scissors are used to trim the excess part of the strips.

      Small bamboo knife frequently used in this book is actually a tea knife, which is for loosening up Pu’er or other tea cakes. It is small, portable and safe, suitable for smoothing and scraping the paper strips. You can also find a similar handy tool at home.

      Slotted tool is the most commonly used tool for traditional Western-style paper quilling. It is used especially for scrolling strips. Its front end has a slot, into which the strip is inserted and shaped by rotating the tool. You can also use the thick end of the tool to scroll the paper.

      Needle tool (or toothpick) is dipped in glue and applies glue to the strip precisely to make the work neat and tidy.

      Cutter is used to cut paper and strips.

      Glue is used to fix the strips and the elements of the work onto the background paper.

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