I feel a sense of peace spread when listening to them share about the crafts created with meticulousness, thoughtfulness and patience, passion for creativity.

Making models with bamboo toothpicks helps Hua Van Minh find joy in life. Photo: T.Y

Indulge in creating models

As revealed by Ms. Tran My Quyen, the Director of Thinh Minh An Co., Ltd. in An Hai Bac Ward, Son Tra District, the creator of the model of Dragon, Han River and Tran Thi Ly bridges and the Da Nang Administrative Centre made of bamboo toothpick is a disabled person. This took everyone by surprise because this job requires the performer to be really patient, skillful and healthy enough to arrange and adjust the appropriate size for many hours.

The disabled artisan mentioned above is Hua Van Minh, 30, from An Hai Bac Ward, Son Tra District. He used to be a construction engineer and had an accident while supervising the A Luoi Hydropower project in 2011.

The accident injured his spinal cord and paralyzed the lower half of his body. After two years in the hospital, he returned home in a depressed mood, completely frustrated by his declining health and uncertain future with still relying on a wheelchair for movement. Minh said that was the time when he felt that he was a burden for the whole family.

Asked why he chose the craft of making models from such bamboo toothpicks, Minh laughed and said that he initially came to this job for relaxation and fun. The first product was a model of the Eiffel Tower, the symbol of France with a height of over 60cm, assembled by him from thousands of toothpicks during 3 months.

“The first was always special. I took the time to meticulously design and scale each junction so that it is harmonious and beautiful. I am happy with the joy of creativity and forget all the fatigue and pains in the body is still hurting, "Minh said.

In the small house located on The Lu Street, sitting in a wheelchair, Minh passionately talked about the meticulousness, ingenuity and patience as if his hands were used to cutting, pasting, arranging each piece of toothpicks to give it new life.

He said, after the completion of the Eiffel Tower model, he spent another 10 days making the model of the Hue Meridian model.

After finishing the models, he took photos and posted them on Facebook for the purpose of sharing. From this milestone, many contacts asked Minh if he could do this or that model. He identified that he could do it, accepted the job and considered it as an extra income job during his rehabilitation.

After 8 years, Minh's skillful hands created more than 40 models of such attractions as Dragon, Han River and Tran Thi Ly bridges, the Da Nang Administration Centre, Ngo Mon Hue, Khue Van Quoc Tu Giam, Hue- junction Overpass, the National Assembly Building, EVN Building and the One Pillar Pagoda with hundreds of products.

In particular, the model of Dragon, Han River and Tran Thi Ly bridges becomes unique souvenirs distributed by the Thinh Minh An Co., Ltd. to tourists near and far. Even through the company, Minh's model products have been ordered by the Da Nang government as gifts to partners, investors or other provinces and cities during the Da Nang leaders’ working trips there.

Thanks to sophisticated techniques, harmonious and beautiful layout, Minh's models made of bamboo toothpicks bearing the symbol of Da Nang are also put on display at many travel exhibitions inside and outside the city.

Painter Tran Thi My Hanh with paintings handmade from snails and pebbles. Photo: T.Y

Strong passion for the profession

For more than 10 years, in the bag of Mr. Duong Van Kien (SN 1981), a Mathematics teacher from the Son Tra District –based Hoang Hoa Tham Senior High School, there have been always a few pencils engraved with words as a reward to encourage his students.

As one of the first people to bring the art of pencil craving to Da Nang, and Viet Nam at large, Kien has created thousands of unique pencil sculptures highly appreciated by domestic and foreign artisans.

More than 10 years ago, by chance seeing eye-catching pencil craving works available in the internet, Kien fell in love with this art form requiring high dexterity skills.

At first, the teacher used a paper cutter to carve simple works as gifts for his relatives and friends, and as small rewards for students with good academic achievements. At that time, Kien’s works were simply engraved with words. Later, he created sculpted works with the shapes of chains, dragons and phoenixes.

Once Kien accidentally discovered a recycled pencil made from wood pulp and glue that can be bent when burned on a blue fire, Mr. Kien cherished the idea of sculpting ‘mascots’ from pencils.

It usually takes Kien from a few hours to several days to make a carving work. With ‘brainchild’ requiring high skills, Mr. Kien must spend 1 - 2 weeks completing the task. The work of carving 2 chains from a pencil core - one of the works that Kien spent much time making it.

To make sculpting convenient, Kien made his own set of tools depending on the needs of carving. Once completed, the works are covered with a layer of anti-mold varnish.

Till date, his collection has comprised thousands of pencil sculptures. There are more than hundred models of chains made from pencils alone, each with a different type of chain motif.

Over the past time, his products, full of creativity, have been highly appreciated by domestic and foreign pencil cravers.

Kien's strong passion for pencil carving has inspired many generations of students. Given the fact that many of them show their interest in learning more about this art form, the talented teacher has established a pencil sculpting club.

Another highly-skilled artisan is Tran Thi My Hanh, a resident on Dong Ke Street, Hoa Khanh Bac Ward, Lien Chieu District, Da Nang, with a capacity of using common pebbles to create stunning works.

From early in her childhood years, Hanh always brought home some interesting-looking pebbles for play after she wandered by nearby springs. Growing up, Hanh still kept the habit of collecting lovely stones and she came up with the idea of creating eye-catching paintings on pebbles.

Hanh picks and sorts the stones based on their sizes. All collected stones have to be diligently cleaned and dried. Next, an outline needs to be created on a blank canvas, which could be made of paper, wood or fabric. It was on this layout that stones are affixed using glue. The final steps include the decoration of the stones and other materials.

To create an image of a lady in her work, for instance, Hanh envisages specific ideas, sketch the girl, appropriately arrange the pebbles and snail shells, and colour them in an attractive manner. One of the most difficult steps is how to recognise the shape of each stone and finds the right combination to illustrate real-life images.

Hanh uses common stones to create exquisite art pieces with her collection of pebbles-studded paintings till date. Hanh said she started out with these paintings merely as a hobby. Her first paintings were made to be hung in her house, presented as gifts for friends and relatives, or used for Facebook updates.

About two years ago, in a small studio in Lien Chieu District, she created more than 200 paintings made from pebbles and snails with random and unique arrangements. Each work has reached the level of sophistication, beauty, looming shapes of mountains, blue sea, animals and flowers with the desire to create a unique product line of gifts and souvenirs.

Each handmade product that is born brings an incomparable freshness to its creator. In that creative space, the love for the profession is distilled with caution, meticulousness, patience and the urge to go through any challenges. Many people say that, when they do well with this model, they suddenly want to continue to create other unique and strange models. And thanks to their strong passion, few choose to give up or stop halfway.

Reporting by TIEU YEN - Translating by A.THU