Later, they heard about a healer who promised a cure. But he
charged an outrageous 17,000 dollars.
Her grandmother made a living from paper cutting, but it was a
dying trade. That kind of money was out of reach.
Still, she took every job she could, working day and night,
wearing herself out until she finally scraped it together.
The healer saw Bethany once and promised a full recovery. By
the next day, he was gone.
All of Bethany’s grandmother’s effort was wasted. She couldn’t
take it, and the guilt made her sick soon after. Not long after that,
she passed away.
With her last breath, she told Bethany the craft was part of their
cultural heritage. She wanted her to pass it on and keep it alive.
Later, Bethany discovered how the craft could blend with
animation. It was a way to make the craft reach a wider
audience.
But in falling in love, Bethany let down the only two people who
ever believed in her.
Chapter 17
The thought brought tears to her eyes.
In the meantime, Cassie walked toward the piece in the center.
She paused, letting the moment stretch.
She was about to unveil it.
Bethany immediately blinked back the tears.
Bethany looked where Joanne stood.
Just then, Terrence moved to the front of the crowd with Krista
and Emery.
He wondered what Joanne meant by talent and spirit.
Krista had been learning comics since she was a child. These
years in Aranoland, she had even taken part in the major projects
of the famous director Davon Farley. How could her works lack
talent and spirit?
Joanne had a long look at the frame and turned to the crowd.
She began slowly, “I didn’t intend to display this piece this time at
first. But I couldn’t find any faults with it. This is the first stop of
my national tour, also an iconic domestic major convention.
After thinking it over, I decided to publicize it, so everybody
could look at it and learn from it.”
Chapter 17
When she finished speaking, Joanne turned around and pulled
off the cloth over the frame.
Instantly, deathly silence befell the gallery, as if it had been
muted.
One could hear a pin drop.
It was a piece of the “Last Judgment.”
The originally dark colors had been replaced by bright hues.
The characters and scenery remained in their original shapes. Only they were presented in a comic effect now.
The lines were like those of a three–dimensional sculpture.
It was a still picture but it looked lifelike. Each character in it seemed to be moving.
It made the visitors feel as if they were watching a cartoon.
Time seemed to have stopped for 30 seconds.
Terrence finally understood what Joanne meant by talent and spirit.
The picture brought out both a quiet and dynamic feeling.
Yet somehow, Terrence felt the picture looked slightly familiar.
Chapter 17
Right, the paper–cut.
The embossed paper cuttings techniques made the image lifelike.
Suddenly, deafening applause broke the silence.
When it was about to stop, Joanne gestured for the crowd to
quiet down with his hands.
Then, she began talking about the advantages of the work of art.
Like Terrence, she also thought the picture gave both a quiet and
dynamic feeling.
It perfectly combined the modern and ancient styles. The
embossed paper cuttings techniques were skillfully used in the
design.
Of course, Joanne told everyone it wasn’t her design. A student of hers gave it to her on her 40th birthday.
Someone asked, “Which student? Can we have a look at her other
works?”
