I'd like to play some erhu music while you are viewing my blog.

On January 28th 2011 I was giving an erhu concert at IU International Center--"Friday Noon Concert" series.
But the piece you hear is played on Chung-Hu (中胡), similar instrument as Er-Hu (二胡), slightly bigger in size, and five tones lower. By the way, the audio part used to work well until not long ago I totally lost the sound track of my erhu playing. Sorry, if you failed to hear it. My son knows how to fix it. When he comes in July 2012, I will ask him to put it back, if possible. Hopefully we will once again have an audio-visual appreciation of calligraphy, painting as well as music.

Dramatic cloud formation

Then I pitched in some dramatic clouds sweeping across the sky over the landscape. This adds some new emotional dimension to the painting. Now the sky is connected to the land while the fisherman in the boat seems to pay no attention to the ever-changing environment....

Rembrandt and me in landscape

In mid-September 2011 I checked out a book on Rembrandt and as I was reading it I came upon a landscape painting in black and white, which looks so much like Chinese ink-and-wash landscape painting. So I started to emulate this Western great master's painting. I was amazed by Rembrandt's use of light in sharp contrast to darkness.

A technical term to talk about the contrast between light and darkness in Rembrandt's painting is:
CHIAROSCURO.

I found this horizontal long scroll landscape painting in a book and was fascinated by it. I started to entertain the idea to emulate it. But after several false starts I realized it was something I could not do at this level of my skill. However, on September 1st I took up my brush and tried once again. In about 8 hours or so I finished half of it, and then next day I worked through the rest and put in the calligraphy and autograph. My version looks very rough and raw to say the least. But it proves true the adage: Where there is a will, there is a way. Only after I completed it did I find out who the original painter (龔賢 Xian Gung)is.

According Mr. Mei（梅墨生）, editor/artist, this long scroll of landscape painting best exemplifies a special constructional technique: moving points of perspective. That is, instead of one perspective as most art work does, this one shows multiple perspectives, as if one is viewing the endless landscape by sitting in an airplane flying along.

溪山無盡之三 Mountain-River No. 3

Who is Mr. Gung after all?

梅墨生, editor of 山水畫述要 (A Concise Book on Chinese Landscape Painting) introduces him as an artist of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). But not quite so if you look at his dates (1599?-1689?). The two question marks signify that people are not so sure about his exact dates of birth and death. Anyway he thought himself a citizen loyal to Ming Dynasty. When Ming dynasty was overthrown, Mr. Gung, who then was 45 years old and lived in Nanjing, was very upset. He tried to turn back the historical tide with no avail. Later he remained in Nanjing as a recluse, doing nothing but painting. He was highly regarded as the leader of a group called "Nanjing Eight Painters".

溪山無盡之二 Mountain-River No. 2

Gung's painting skill was outstanding. His specialty comes from a 皴法 (ways to put shadow in through different techniques) he discovered himself: 積墨法, that is, he would paint the shadows by pitching in several layers of tones to achieve it. In his darkest area, he could leave some white spots to show the special effect of contrast.

I happily noticed that while doing the emulation. I told myself that is something I could not do. Indeed, I was not able to do however hard I tried.

溪山無盡之一 Mountain-River No. 1

I don't know the size of the original long scroll painting, but mine is roughly double the dimension of the picture found in the book. Mine goes: 75in x 4in, pretty narrow but long, which, I thought, will give me some trouble when I try to mount and put it in a picture frame.

早春圖原版 Original Version

The size of this painting: 158.3cm X 108.1cm, done on silk cloth dyed to orange color.

If you examine the painting carefully, you will find a faint seam that goes midway vertically from top to bottom. That is: someone once cut the painting into two halves and later someone put the two halves back into one again. Things like this, according the editor, did happen, and happened often. But, of course, it is gratifying to know that the painting now remains whole and complete in National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan.
During my current visit to Taiwan (Oct. 2011-Feb. 2012), I was surprisingly happy to see a copy of this painting among others on the daily paper in Nov. 2011....

早春之七 （Early Spring No. 7)

My final version after the dyeing job and calligraphy, date and autograph. Of course I still have a lot to do before putting it into a picture frame to be presentable.

早春圖之六 Mountain in Early Spring 6

More dark tone is added to the left front rocks, and some more details are pitched in on the left side to bring the painting towards a sense of completion. As I sat back and looked at what I had done so far, I realized I needed to work more details into the painting as found in the original. Lots of things are beyond my grasp... So, I said to myself I might as well put the project aside for a while and come back to it as I recuperate a little later.
I still have to work on the clouds and water. Finally I have to dye the whole paper to light orange color as close as possible to the color of original painting on silk cloth.

早春圖之五 Mountain in Early Spring 5

More dark tone is added to the rocks on the front right. Then, as I looked more carefully to the middle right section of the original painting, I found houses constructed along the cliff, in the shape of small village... There are two fishing boats anchoring on either side of the rocky landscape, to give the impression that fishermen are dwelling here....

早春圖之四 Mountain in Early Spring 4

One unique feature of Guo's landscape painting, as I quickly found out, is his drawings of so many pine trees--some near, some halfway up the cliff, some on the very top of the mountain, to the right and to the left, here and there. It has become such a challenge to draw them and give them life. Sometime along the way I felt so frustrated and almost to the point of giving up the whole project. Alas, I chose to go on a little bit to see if I could repair a little of my sense of hopelessness.

早春圖之三 Mountain in Early Spring 3

Then work more to the right middle portion, thus trying to give a sense of connection of the whole landscape from top to bottom.

早春圖之二 Mountain in Early Spring 2

I started from the top as I had done last time, but I quickly moved to the lower portion of the painting to pitch in some more shades and tones to give some three dimensional effects.

郭熙 （北宋）早春圖 之一 Mountain in Early Spring 1

In this second emulation assignment, I chose Guo Xi of North Sung Dynasty landscape painting "Early Spring". Different from last assignment I started off by making a general outline of the landscape with faint brush strokes from top to bottom.
It was done on the morning of August 8, 2011.

Du Fu Climbing Up to A Tower

杜甫 (803-852, famous Tang poet) 登樓

花近高樓傷客心
萬方多難此登臨
錦江春色來天地
玉壘浮雲變古今
....

It breaks my heart to see blooming trees near the tower.
The country torn apart, could I admire the flower?
Spring comes from sky on earth and greens River Brocade;
The world changes now as then whitle clouds o'er Mount Jade....

The Meaning of Rooster

(Gung)Ji (chiken)sounds like "fortune" in Chinese. Besides, it has five virtues:
1. Elegance: with red headpiece on top.
2. Warrior: with claws to fight.
3. Bravery: with fighting spirit to confront enemy.
4. Kindness: inviding other chikens to share food found.
5. Trustworthy: crowing early in the morning on time.

How beautiful the rooster is!

My Song of Four Gold Fish

With the painting done, I composed my "Song" to glorify them as they are gliding through water:
水底鱗波舞翩翩
上下迴旋意漣漣
借問誰家俊俏兒?
輕攏慢撚樂無眠


Under water they are dancing in shining ripples,
Some up, some down, circling and turning in graceful moves;
Whose handsome kids these are, I wonder?
With gentle and slow gestures, they are happy dancing without end.

One Catfish 鯰魚

A catfish, done with just a few simple strokes, trying to signify its movements in water. Surrounded on three fronts are some chosen calligraphy versions of fish--some ancient, some cursive, some standard, in addition to my given name "京" with my personal chop under it. A friend commented: "Your given name also looks like a fish". Does it?

P.S. On July 26, 2011 to our surprise we got a catfish in Lake Monroe, south of Bloomington, Indiana.  I carefully checked the fish with my painting--exactly the same!  Those whiskers tell. 漁家樂 漁人一字一字 織成一張張電子網， 趁滿天繁星閃爍， 向汪洋大海撒去！ 等上弦月將天狼射落， 太陽神由海平線衝起， 忽然！知心語 一尾， 一尾， 乘著 電光 與風， 飛傳 游回。 頓時， 海上彩霞飛舞， 一片金輝燦爛！

廬山之五 (Mt. Lu-5), completed with calligraphy narrative

The original painting by Jing Huao, by the way, was done on a piece of silk cloth dyed to the tint of dark orange color. Also, perhaps time (over one thousand years) has worked on it to make it appear so. Anyway, having finished the painting, I tried to dye the rice paper all over to orange color as close as possible to the original. Having done three times of dyeing, it turns out to be a bit too bright, as one of my friends commented. But, she added, given it one thousand years, perhaps it will tune down a little. Who knows?
I also added some calligraphy narrative about Jing Huao the painter, some social context and his artistic specialties in reference to other artists of his time.
Thus my self-imposed "assignment" of emulation is finished. Now your suggestions and comments will be greatly appreciated.

盧山之四 （Mt. Lu-4）

After I got back to Bloomington, Indiana, I worked on Mt. Lu painting for another 10 days or so before I "completed" it. In fact, I left the lower one-fifth of the original painting alone, which includes some more trees and a big mansion with walls around it, a fisherman paddling a boat, a man walking a cow, etc. I left those humanized touches alone because I want to give the impression of wild nature unspoiled by men.

盧山之三 （Mt. Lu-3）

During my current visit to Nashville, Tennessee (May 30-June 9, 2011) I started a new project--to emulate Jing Huao 荊浩, one of the great masters of Chinese landscape painting of late Tang Period (後梁）. This landscape painting of his includes Mt. Lu in South China (盧山之五老峰，爐峰，三峽，左蠡等地的景致)。Working little by little on a daily basis from top to bottom for about ten days I have done this much, perhaps about half of the original painting... I still have a long way to go.

廬山之二 （Mt. Lu-2）

I have been gaining some ground in the lower right section of this second part of my emulation.
As I plot slowly on, I remember one story about Master Jing's learning process: It is said that he had drawn pictures from live pine trees for ten thousand times before he felt he could capture its spirit. Alas! What an effort and what a perseverance!

A new project in painting: 廬山之一 (Mt. Lu-1)

I don't remember how many days (perhaps three, I guess) of careful emulation of the original painting before I took this first picture to record my progress. Though trying to be very careful with eyes wide open and sometimes with the help of magnifying glass, I was amazed to find that my emulation came out somewhat "differently" from the original. After all, this is not a photo copy. I have to admit that in my concentrated efforts to emulate there are things in the original that seem to be tantalizing and are beyond my ability to put down in paper, however hard I tried. Then I realize why he has been regarded as one of the great masters of Chinese landscape painting....

Rachel our grand daughter at my 2006 show in Bloomington, Indiana

孫女之蕊

Dao, Way of Life, in Extreme Cursive Style 狂草

老子第一章；

道可道非常（恆）道，名可名非常（恆）名。

Dao is beyond the power of words
To define:
Terms may be used
But are none of them absolute.

Dao, Way of Life, in Standard Script 楷書

Dao means "Road", or "Way of Life" that people choose to follow. Its etymological sources come from 目 (eye) and 走 (stride). In other words, one strides along with eyes open in search of the right path to pursue.

What is your Dao? As you are striding along please keep your eyes wide open and you may find it.

My first Calligraphy Exhibition in Bloomington, Indiana

書展與我
More than 30 pieces of calligraphy works shown at then John waldron Arts Center in Bloomington, Indiana. I single-handedly finished all the procedures before the show, which includes writing, mounting, framing,....

Son of the Dragon

龍子與我 Dragon stands for the symbol of Chinese tradition. Each Chinese is regarded as the son of the Dragon. Here these two characters are written in Bronze Script (金鼎文)

Two Long horizontal calligraphy-painting pieces at my exhibition

The third exhibit in Bloomington, Indiana (February 2011).

My most favorite section in Lao Tzu (Section 33)

老子道德經三十三節

知人者智，自知者明，勝人者有力，自勝者強，知足者富，強行者有志，不失其所者久，死而不忘者壽。
Knowing others is wise; knowing yourself is bright; conquering others is powerful; surpassing oneself is strong; feeling contented is rich; pushing forward with force is ambitious; finding one's own center lasts long; being remembered after death is longevity.

Yuan-Min Tao's most famous line

陶淵明詩句；

採菊東籬下 Picking a sprig of chrysanthemum by the east hedge,

悠然見南山 I happily notice the South Mountain.

A sprig of Chrysanthemum Tao supposedly picked....

This is my image of the South Mountain

南山 （即江西廬山）

Stone Drum Script 石鼓文

靈禽鳴旭日
遊魚樂深淵
Spiritual bird chirps at the rising sun,
Swimming fish enjoys the deep water.

花開 （狂草）

Flower blooming

"WATER FLOWER" In Extreme Cursive Style

水花 （狂草）

"SPRING" (a lady sitting down) in extreme Cursive Style

春 （狂草）

PEACE in Clerical Style

和平 （隸書）

A collection of my own carved seals

印章集景

What does MOTHER mean? (In Small Seal Script)

母 (Mother)（小篆）

寸草春暉 (An inch-long grass under Spring Sunshine)

飲水思源 (Think of the source when drinking water)

"Lotus Flower" in Extreme Cursive Style

荷花（狂草）

"Lotus Flower" in Cursive Style 草書

荷花出於淤泥而不染，清香四溢，為花中之潔者，人多好之。
Lotus flower grows out of the mud and emits a pleasant fragrant smell everywhere. It is the most pure one among all the flowers, favored by lots of people.

Two lines in Bronze Script

湖心微月至 (A faint moonlight reflects on the center of the pond)
牆東新柳斜 (To the east-side of the wall a new willow grows slanting)

"Heaven's Way" in Extreme Cursive Style

天道 （狂草）

Du Mu's Poem (a famous late-Tang poet)

杜牧 (803-852)

遠上寒山石徑斜 Up to the cold mountain along the slanting stone path,
白雲生處有人家 Houses are visible among the floating clouds;
停車坐愛楓林晚 Cart parked, I love to sit here among the maple trees,
霜葉紅於二月花 Frosty leaves look more fiery than February flowers.

"Dragon and Tiger" in Extreme Cursive Style

龍虎 （狂草）

"Dragon Soaring" in Extreme Cursive Style

龍翔 （狂草）

"Chasing the Moon" in Bronze Script

追月 （金鼎文）

"Buddha's Light" in Cursive Style

佛光 （草書）