Tuesday, March 20, 2007

初春


(MS Paint, Mouse, 1997)

这幅小画没有花多少心思斟酌,纯粹是游戏放松的涂鸦。

平时喜欢点线的趣味。游游荡荡,点点缀缀,用来画春花初放似乎很合适。

添加两个女孩,觉得女孩子清新、洁净,温和,有水和花一样的清淡雅致,似乎是很自然地选择。

按中国传统观念,俏不争春才是美德,就没有给这两个女孩更多的色彩和装饰了。






Early Spring

This is a simple play of lines and dots.

I've always liked the playful contrast between floating lines and bouncing dots in different sizes and colors.

Young girls are natural equivalency of blossom beauties of freshness and purity. It takes no thought at all for me to put them into this picture.

Without competing with the flourishing surroundings, I left them with little colors and details.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

大碗喝酒,大碗吃肉

这幅鼠标画,是九五年第一次回国后画的。画的是大碗喝酒,大碗吃肉,大莆扇凉快!

大碗喝酒,大碗吃肉

(MS Paint, Mouse, 1995)

九五年,去国十年第一次回乡,好像有太多牵连,太多期盼。回国之前,朋友开玩笑,告诫我把“自我交代”搞成录音,走一个地方,见一拨人,放上一遍,以节约口舌。自己心里,也在反反复复的盘算,见什么,看什么,问什么,说什么。。。

踏上故土,同学亲友相聚,用高朋满座,花天酒地来形容,不算过份。形形色色宾馆餐厅进进出出,人来人往,大杯举小杯放,不以乐乎。

渐渐地,欢声笑语中,开始有事过境迁,人似物非的感觉。事实上,我很少需要说很多的话。走到哪里,基本做到了一个最佳听众:笑笑的问,静静的听,及时的恭维或祝贺。和我当初并不是很接近的一个老师,托同学一定要请我去讲讲我在国外的十年。去了以后,我说了不到十句关于自己的话,他讲自己讲了两个小时。出门后,同学说, 假洋鬼子真是虚伪,佩服你用同样的表情从头听到尾。

几个星期后回到美国,心慢慢静下来,觉得一种解脱。回国以前的牵挂和留恋,已经便变得非常淡然。因为过去深为怀恋的人和事,物与情,其实也不再存在于那片土地的时空里了。世态变迁,不在一时一地,冷暖凉热,全在自己心里。

如此一想,倒是对过去有了不少亲切,对现实有了更多的珍惜,对将来多了一份坦然。

心情轻松之余,用鼠标涂涂画画当年去农村同学家,摇着大莆扇,通宵达旦的大碗喝酒,大碗吃肉。。。

Old Time with Friends

Not long ago in China people live their life like drinking Chinese wine - a small sip down to the throat and sink slowly into the heart. With hundreds and thousands of years attached to almost everything, dream and reflection can go a long way and take a long time to be digested and show up in life.

When I visited China lately, life has changed a lot. People there live a different life and don't drink the same way they used to.

Among people who have caught up the train of economic booming, life is very exciting and enjoyable. Most of my friends are college graduates from the 80's. With good education, wide connections, and extensive experiences, many of them are successful public officers or private entrepreneurs. They no longer stay at home after work. Every day, for work or for fun, they go to restaurants, bars, dancing places, karaoke studios, department stores, beauty salons, and fitness centers. Life has much more to offer and more to be dreamed about. In their life, they drink quickly, talk loudly, and expect more.

On the other hand, the rest of the country is still carried on by the momentum of the old train, and is trying hard to catch up with the changing world. Most of them are from older generations, or the ones who did not have adequate education. Even among these people, life has changed a lot. So much I can hardly recognize neither. For better or worse, people are no longer satisfied with what they have and are eager for more changes.

So just for memory, I drew this small picture to memorize the simple life we used to have.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

雨后天青

(MS Paint, Mouse, 463 x 198 px, 1997)


这一幅画的是成都郊区夏天阵雨洗涤后的一片清新。



成都的夏天可以达到摄氏35、36度的高温。虽然温度比不上重庆、武汉等大火炉,潮湿闷热的程度却更是要些耐力忍受。坐在阴凉之中一动不动,也会是一身湿汗淋淋。所以最期盼的,是来场“天东雨”,或“白雨”。

天东雨,来得快,去得也快。炎热湿闷中,本来还是骄阳当头,瞬间几声雷鸣,乌云盖顶。还来不及寻找躲避的地方,就倾盆而下。慌忙中找到躲雨的地方,又已是雨过天青。刚现身再上路,眨眼又是一顿瓢泼,让人狼狈不堪。所以成都也有“天东雨,下三场”之说。

成都人的“白雨”,是指夏天里明日当头随风而来、随风而去的清凉阵雨。也象天东雨一样来去匆匆,经常没有先兆地在晴空里飘飘而下。那时候,觉得最遐意的,就是站在白日清风里,让雨水浇在头面上,沁澈心扉。

去郊外写生,碰到阵雨当头,很少有机会能转移到避雨的地方。慌忙中,急忙能把没画完的画和颜色收好,就不错了。来不及的时候,就只能以身挡雨了。

After a Summer Shower

Chengdu is very hot and humid in the summer. At the time that air conditioning was only a luxury heard from movies, a summer shower is the best thing people can have to cool down the heat wave.

In middle school, I spent many after-school hours painting water color around suburbs of Chengdu. This is probably the most typical scenery in the countryside around Chengdu in the 70's and early 80's.

Sunday, March 4, 2007

老房子和人情世故


(MS Paint, Mouse, 557 x 360 px, 2005)

这张鼠标小画,描的是在川北老家见过的那些农家,冬天太阳出来,暖暖和和,好不舒坦。

少年时回川北大巴山的老家,最开心的是和表弟表妹去乡下玩。

去的时候,走出县城,跳石礅过小河,再穿过些弯弯的林中小路,就算进山了。沿途采点野果吃吃,摘些树枝藤条挥挥打打,不觉中就到了这个杨家岭,或那个辜家湾。反正从名字上就知道和我们家有关系。

很快,就有很多人远远近近地打招呼,问那细娃是谁家的。我也搞不清楚究竟是些什么人,反正跟着表弟表妹一通乱叫。叔伯姑妈,哥嫂弟媳,三大妈,四大爷,叫得我是晕头胀脑。然后大家就是一顿唠叨,说省城里的娃就是不一样,怎么长这么高。人走了再问,才知道有些是亲戚的亲戚的亲戚,有些是当年家里的佃户,或佃户的后人。

通常要去先人墓上看看。那几年还不好明目张胆的拜祖坟,只是和表弟表妹一起清清杂草。问平时谁来清,说总有些当年的佃户或他们的后人会时不时的帮忙。表弟表妹说,这些佃户其实比很多亲戚还可靠、肯帮忙。当时心里就觉的怪怪的:这当年的老财和佃户关系很不错啊。

后来我才注意到,他们很多人进城赶场,都会静静的来家里坐坐,带些山货柴火来(家里那时是买柴烧的)。而每次,奶奶总要煮上一大碗酸菜面,里面加两个自家鸡生的蛋(川北的酸菜很特别,在那当过知青可能知道)。我们在别的房间里大流口水。那年头,肉不是天天有,蛋也不是想吃就有的吃。哪象今天,吃鸡蛋先扔鸡蛋黄。

拜完先人,再前山后山、菜地果园玩一大圈。表弟表妹还知道哪里哪里以前是我们家的。听着好象有点地主老财贼心不死的味道,不禁觉得有点意思。在外边玩够了,总要在一家吃了饭才回来。通常都有一大碗陈年老腊肉,吃的我们满嘴流油。表弟表妹说这是是沾我的光,不然没这么多腊肉吃。

吃完饭回家,还要带上大家送的苹果,青柿子(川北特有)、烤红薯片、柿饼、葵瓜子什么的,够回家后吃很久。

回到家里,当然还要汇报一番,见了谁,在哪里吃的饭之类。如果表妹也去了,这通常就有些郁闷的时刻。表妹只比我小几个月,表弟要小两岁。女孩子懂事早,于是在她眼中,我们总有些特傻、特不妥贴的言行之类,时不时的来上几句。被大人当笑话的讲,我和表弟觉得是很没面子。

后来问到那些佃户,家里说祖上是当地的名医,声誉很好,看病待人都不错。多年的佃户,也就象家里人一样。说老一辈给人看病,有钱的当然给钱,穷人看病,没钱的随便给点什么挂面、山货的就行。实在没有的也不用给。都是乡里邻里,大家都知恩图报。没钱有力的,下山时总会背一背柴来,没钱没力的,十年二十年后别人的后人都还记得。所以那时过年前后,家里总有很多人送东西来。有些人都不认识。问起来才知道是多年前的病人,或者是病人的后代。

Old House

This drawing is about old houses that I have seen in the Sichuan'sDaBa mountains. Till mid-80's, houses around Chengdu were still mostly thatch houses. When you get into the mountain area, then you can see brick tiles on the roof.

Saturday, March 3, 2007

雪山沼泽


(MS Paint, Mouse, 2000, 396x296px)



世上的一切事物,都在随机的分布中显示出它们整体上的规律与和谐。在这一点上,完全无序的混乱在宏观上是不存在的。而这些混乱与和谐的对比,却造就了自然中无数千变万化的趣味和美丽。

概律论与统计学大概是这种美最精确和理性的描述。奇怪的是,在很多数学大师的工作中,我都能感到数学和艺术的共性,可以津津有味的陶醉一番。反而是概律和统计,让我觉得最为无趣。也许还是自己工夫不到,没入其门吧。

回头看绘画和音乐,也包含同样的因素:作者千心万苦地在表面的无序和局部的杂乱中控制整体的节奏和韵律,创造杂乱中的平衡和对比。或成功、或失败,苦乐无穷。不管观者是否能自觉地意识到,也被其左右好恶。

小时候出外写生,最头疼的大概就是画这种场面吧。概括,组织,抽象,说起来容易做起来难。对大师们的佩服,也常常是对他们不拘一格的手法和驾驭一切的高超手段。

这幅鼠标画,画的是想象中的川西藏区的风光。前前后后还是花了一个多小时。在画沼泽水草的时候,注意的也是节奏和韵律。

Swamp

Statistics always tells amazing beauty that hiding beneath the surface of the nature. It reveals harmony, consistence, and well balanced contrast. Many times, people feel the beauty but did not realize its origin from chaos and contrasts. This swamp may tell a lot visually about that. The scenary is from the West region of Sichuan where many Tibetans reside.

山坡上的人家

(MS Paintbrush, Mouse, 1993, 129x295 px)

富饶的川西平原周围,是绵绵不断的丘陵。我的中学时代,丘陵地区的生活与成都平原的农家相比,还是非常的贫困。那时,常常在火车或汽车的窗口,看到过无数这样的农家小屋,默默的歇息在远远的坡上。灌木竹林的浓荫中,陈旧的木门半掩半闭,静静地等待它们的主人。

画这幅小画,是想起当年去金堂山区的春元家。

春元是铁哥们建国的表哥,一个人在赵镇南边的山里。高中的一个周末,和几个朋友决定骑车去那里山上玩玩。一路上人骑车,车骑人,爬山越岭,直到深夜才算找到春元家。

春元极尽所能的款待我们。当晚的主餐是“咸辣浆糊”- 面粉加水,盐,辣椒粉熬好,滴上几滴菜油,配上泡咸菜,在煤油灯下吃得是无比的爽。按我们当时的语言形容,是吃得“前脚打后脚”。晚饭后在屋外的果树下继续聊天,山前山后黑灯瞎火,只觉得魅影幢幢。

第二天的早餐是剩下的“浆糊”,加上一些明显营养不良的早产青梨儿。早饭后,扛着一条老掉牙的火枪,春元带我们上山为午饭做准备。路上,同行的“猴头”看到树上的青涩小果,很兴奋地采下几个“小苹果”开口就咬,春元还来不及阻挡,“猴头”就是一阵惨叫。原来不是苹果,是核桃。

几个时后,大家猎回二十几只名为“蛮嘎嘎”,长得象麻雀,但大些的鸟。回来开膛去毛,烟熏火燎,一阵忙乎。吃饭时蛮嘎嘎很快就被一扫而光。虽然再也记不得当初的滋味,二十年后聚会,一说起“蛮嘎嘎”,大家还是一样的兴奋。

后来回国时,和当年的同伴们又专程去了一次春元家。那时春元已盖了新房,拖家带口了。看看他的新家和包养的果林,确是大变了,今非昔比。谈起当年的“浆糊”和“蛮嘎嘎”,春元还很歉意那时的贫寒。不过听说现在“蛮嘎嘎”已经绝迹,大家不由一阵无奈。

House on a Hill

You can find many houses likes this one in Sichuan- setting on a small hill, facing the sun and surrounded by bushes, trees, and bamboos, and with their doors quietly open in the shadow.

One summer in high school, a few of us visited Chun Yuan, cousin of a friend. Chun Yuan lived in such a house behind hills near ZhaoZhen, a small town south of Chengdu. Chuan Yuan did his best to treat us then: Our first dinner was "spicy glue" - flour, salt and hot chili peppers with boiling water. Breakfast in the morning was leftover "glues" and premature pears from some small trees of sad leaves. To prepare lunch Chuan Yuan took us out with a big old rifle and came back with a few birds called by locals as "Man Ga Ga" - "stupid bird", literally. We couldn't remember much of the taste soon after the lunch. But we have talked about Man Ga Ga and about revisiting Chuan Yuan for more than twenty years since then.