趙潤(rùn)心
This year I tried making Guanpu oil fan, a unique folk art in Fu'an, Fuji- an. With the necessary materials, I began my work under the guidance of a master craftsman. First, I put a thin strip () through a small hole drilled on each side of the bamboo joints () above the handle of the fan, which is regarded as the "shoulder of the fan". Then I connected the ends and middle parts of the bamboo strips together with thin threads, which were fixed at both ends of the shoulder to form a circular "nest", a frame () of an oil fan. Afterwards, I used cotton paper to mount the fans. Meanwhile I flattened (修平) the surface and bottom of the fan with a dry brush. After drying the fan, it was necessary to trim (修) the appearance with sharp scissors to form the prototype of a fan.
It was time to display my talent for art. Some minutes later, my favorite cartoon characters came to life on the fans. After oiled and dried, my Guan- pu oil fan truly came into shape, smile shining on my face. I felt happy that I learned a new skill.