周如水
号:爱莲堂人,江苏连云港人,出生于1964年5月,毕业于南京大学,中国书画家协会 会员,江苏省美术家协会 会员,江苏省花鸟画研究会 会员,连云港市美术家协会副秘书长,北派山水艺术中心研究员,北京荣宝斋画院画家,中国文联首都书画院理事,海州画院理事,河北省文化厅书画艺术研究院 研究员,北派山水连云港艺术中心主任,一级美术师。
Danqing dyes the world-Zhou Rushui
Zhou Rushui
No.: Ailiantang people, Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, Born in May 1964, Graduated from Nanjing University, Member of Chinese Painters and Painters Association, Member of Jiangsu Artists Association, Member of Jiangsu Flower and Bird Painting Research Association, Deputy Secretary-General of Lianyungang Artists Association, Researcher of Beipai Landscape Art Center, Painter of Beijing Rong Baozhai Painting Academy, Director of Capital Painting and Calligraphy Institute of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Director of Haizhou Painting Academy, Researcher of Painting and Calligraphy Art Research Institute of Hebei Provincial Department of Culture, Director of Beipai Landscape Lianyungang Art Center, First-class Artist.
用中国画向这个世界敞开自己
张文宝
认识周如水是近年的事情,他是连云港市山水装饰艺术设计有限公司总经理,主要搞策划、设计。当听说他是画家,尤其擅长中国的工笔画、山水画,我吃了一惊。整天忙于设计装潢的经商人,能静下来做艺术、沉下去作画?印象中,他话语不多,厚道热情,别人托付的事不会推辞,办的差强人意时,会不好意思而脸红。
他用创作的画向我敞开心扉,颠覆了我的世界。
土地不讲话,可以长出庄稼,让它发芽、抽叶、开花、灌浆、结果。
人寡言沉默,不妨碍内心强烈的太阳照耀,唤醒种子,催促精神力量的迸发。
想不到,偏僻、贫穷、、盐碱地、河沟和芦苇荡也能生长出艺术和画家。生命中的磨难经历没有成为周如水的伤痕,反倒成了一种不屈、昂扬的生命精神,对生活发出热烈的爱。1964年出生在东辛农场的他,家里一贫如洗。穷的黑暗没有挡住他寻找精神的阳光,他的内心被一本本连环画所照亮,开启了朦胧的绘画语言。买不起笔墨纸砚,白天他就在挑猪菜的路上用棍棒画画,夜晚就在自家的土墙上描绘。
东辛农场河边一望无际的芦苇荡,唤醒、召唤、照亮了周如水,他恍然发现脚下的土地,并不缺少艺术营养。
我熟悉那一片土地,曾在那里生活过四十天。秋风里,芦苇荡如波涛拍岸一般,汹涌澎湃。可以想象到,周如水当时被自然之美所征服,用铅笔在纸上激情画起来的情景。
想到这些,周如水眼睛发光,他说,那真是一发不可收拾,把课余时间全都用到了画画上,从连环画、宣传册、报纸上临摹别人的作品。
意外获得的一本“中国画”杂志,让周如水走出艺术隧道的暗阴处、走进了光明的新天地。当年上海下放知青送给周如水的杂志,成了他的宝贝疙瘩,他翻看了三十年,以至杂志从里到外被磨损得一片“沧桑”。我小心的捧过杂志,看了看,是1960年2月号,像一堆泛黄破烂的乱纸片。轻轻揭开杂志,惊愕了,里面有潘天寿、吴昌硕、吴作人、高奇峰等名家作品,还有不少中国画论的文章。
周如水给我讲往事,带着浓厚的感情。我眼前呈现出那个会画点画的上海知青,他教周如水当木匠,学打小板凳,虽简单,四腿八叉,可学问大,做到“四平八稳”不容易。上海知青还把打板凳的诀窍用到了绘画上,以凿榫眼、画线练习艺术基本功。
站在高处,看得远了,周如水的画愈来愈有模有样,成了农场里有名的“小画家”。
文学家柳青说,文学是愚人的事业。我说,画家也是愚人的事业。搞画的人数不清楚有多少,真正作品不朽的能有几个?画家不断受到艺术品质的挤压、超越的催促、传承的拷问。
周如水是幸运的,他在焦灼内心飘摇时,有人帮助了他。
在杨炳昌门下,周如水告别了原来自说自画的“野路子”创作方式,学习西方油画的训练方法,从素描、水粉、水彩等基础重新开始,一点点向专业化转变靠拢。拜王宏喜为师。王宏喜的作品篇幅巨大,用毛笔勾勒出一个个生动的面孔,表现了人们对生活越来越好的向往。他眼中的王宏喜是一座高山。
师父领进门,修行在自己。周如水用心去发现中国画的妙处,要更好地传承它。
回报来了,没想到,他得到的东西关系自己一辈子要走的路。1986年,在东辛农场举办的书法绘画大赛中,他脱颖而出,一举夺得绘画和书法两个第一。周如水被农场破格录用到工艺美术厂,并任美术指导,那年他只有二十三岁。后来,他做车间主任,副厂长,厂长,也没丢掉心爱的画笔。我想,周如水的固执追求,已融入了血脉,成了精神中的东西,他不得不完成自己的人生。
建筑,在周如水作品中是一个亮点,甚而照亮了全画。
我知道,他是南京大学新闻传播学院广告专业毕业,却没有把他所学业、从事的装潢设计与绘画联系到一起。我以为画家的活动只能以展览、写生、读书为轴心,与装潢设计关系不大。看了周如水作品,我心里一下亮了,绘画是用来表达生活,真正的艺术作品是生活感受的一种表现。对于一个画家来说,创作的作品必然是不能被割舍的文化沉淀和生活经历。我认为真正的艺术品是从艺术家的心灵深处产生的。
建筑有画意,建筑会歌唱。发生在周如水身上的常常是奇迹,在电脑没有兴起来的时代,周如水画图纸用的是手,他画过上百张图纸。这成全了一个画家。有人可以把山、水、树、草描画的精细、鲜活,但在画建筑时,匆忙走笔,点到即止。周如水画的建筑,着笔不多,以形写神,形神兼备。
对他的追求精神,我充满敬意。他却满脸潮红,谦逊、又有些愧意说,连云港那么多画家画的真好,我还没赶上,要向他们学习。
他说的有些道理,是实在话。在经商的日子里,他几乎丢下了画笔。可以理解,鱼与熊掌岂容兼得呢?时间是公平的。
他,2014年才重新拾起画笔。
我笑话起来,说,你不可能彻底放下画笔,该是身在曹营心在汉,心里想着艺术吧。说出这话,我自有一番道理,他十几年没拿画笔,重新出山,创作的作品却耳目一新,今非昔比,怎么可能呢?
他承认,在经商、没拿画笔的日子里,他的心里却一直想着画、画着画,常常去北京、上海、南京观摩画展。
他跟着北京荣宝斋画院导师唐辉、郑百重学习国画,到陕西秦岭太白山写五月的雪,跟着河北美协朋友到陕北榆林写窑洞,跟着海州画院院长张子文他们,到河南太行山、安徽齐云山、查济古镇写祠院和庙宇。
2015年秋季他参加了人民大学北派山水艺术中心师恩钊工作室高研班的学习,从而确定了他立志学习北派山水的方向,通过一年多的学习,他的山水画已达到一一个新的高度。
边品茶、边聊着,我的话多,他的话少。我感受到了一种中国画“空白”的魅力。他像我见过的所尊重的朴素的那些农民,只懂得在土地上躬身撒种,让种子发芽、抽叶、开花。
周如水把生活的种子撒在厚重的土地上,他的作品里能看到连绵不绝的太行山脉,巍峨俊秀的秦岭山脉、色彩饱满,达到了“我”。周如水想通过作品,表达人们对新生活的赞颂。
周如水用中国画,向这个世界敞开自己,发出自己的声音,发出生活小溪不倦流淌的声音,发出时代大河奔流轰鸣的声音……
(作者为江苏省作家协会副主席、一级作家)
2016年11月26日
Open yourself to the world with Chinese painting
Zhang Wenbao
It is recent years to know Zhou Rushui. He is the general manager of Lianyungang Landscape Decorative Art Design Co., Ltd., mainly engaged in planning and design. I was taken aback when I heard that he was a painter, especially good at Chinese meticulous painting and landscape painting. Businessmen who are busy designing and decorating all day can calm down and do art and sink down to paint? In my impression, he doesn't talk much, is kind and enthusiastic, won't refuse what others entrust, and will blush with embarrassment when he does not do well.
He opened his heart to me with his paintings and subverted my world.
Without talking, the land can grow crops, let them sprout, sprout, blossom, fill and bear fruit.
People are taciturn and silent, which does not prevent the strong inner sun from shining, awakening seeds and urging generate of spiritual strength.
Unexpectedly, art and painters can also grow in remote, poor, saline-alkali land, rivers and reeds. The tribulations in life have not become the scars of Zhou Rushui, but have become an unyielding and high-spirited life spirit, giving out warm love to life. Born in Dongxin Farm in 1964, his family was destitute. The darkness of poverty did not block him from looking for spiritual sunshine, and his heart was illuminated by comic strips, which opened up hazy painting language. He can't afford to buy ink, paper and inkstone. During the day, he paints with sticks on the way to pick pig dishes, and at night, he paints on his own earth wall.
The endless reeds along the river of Dongxin Farm awakened, summoned and illuminated Zhou Rushui, and he suddenly found that the land under his feet was not short of artistic nutrition.
I am familiar with that land and have lived there for forty days. In the autumn wind, the reeds are surging like waves. It can be imagined that Zhou Rushui was conquered by the beauty of nature and painted passionately on paper with a pencil.
Thinking of this, Zhou Rushui's eyes glowed. He said that it was really out of control, and he spent all his spare time painting, copying other people's works from comic strips, brochures and newspapers.
An accidental acquisition of a magazine "Chinese Painting" made Zhou Rushui walk out of the shade of the art tunnel and enter a bright new world. When Shanghai sent educated youth to Zhou Rushui's magazine, it became his treasure knot in one's heart. He looked through it for 30 years, and even the magazine was worn out from the inside out. I carefully held the magazine and looked at it. It was the February 1960 issue, like a pile of yellowed and tattered pieces of paper. When I opened the magazine gently, I was amazed. There were famous works such as Pan Tianshou, Wu Changshuo, Wu Zuoren and Gao Qifeng, and there were many articles on Chinese painting theory.
Zhou Rushui told me the past with strong feelings. In front of me, there is a Shanghai educated youth who can draw stippling. He teaches Zhou Rushui to be a carpenter and learn to play a small bench. Although it is simple, it has four legs and eight forks, but it is not easy to achieve "stability". Shanghai educated youth also applied the trick of playing benches to painting, practicing basic artistic skills by chiseling mortises and drawing lines.
Standing on a high place and looking far away, Zhou Rushui's paintings become more and more formal and become a famous "little painter" on the farm.
Liu Qing, a writer, said that literature is the cause of fools. I said, painters are also fools' careers. It is not clear how many people are engaged in painting. How many real works can be immortal? Painters are constantly squeezed by artistic quality, urged by transcendence and tortured by inheritance.
Zhou Rushui was lucky. When he was anxious, someone helped him.
Under Yang Bingchang's door, Zhou Rushui bid farewell to the original "wild way" of self-painting, learned the training methods of western oil painting, started from sketch, gouache, watercolor and other foundations, and moved closer to specialization. Worship Wang Hongxi as a teacher. Wang Hongxi's works are huge in length, sketching vivid faces with writing brushes, showing people's yearning for better and better life. Wang Hongxi in his eyes is a high mountain.
Master led the door and practiced in himself. Zhou Rushui carefully discovers the beauty of Chinese painting and inherits it better.
The return came. Unexpectedly, what he got was related to the road he had to go all his life. In 1986, in the calligraphy and painting contest held in Dongxin Farm, he stood out and won the first place in painting and calligraphy. Zhou Rushui was hired by the farm to the Arts and Crafts Factory and served as production designer. He was only twenty-three years old that year. Later, he became workshop director, deputy factory director and factory director, and did not lose his beloved brush. I think Zhou Rushui's stubborn pursuit has been integrated into the blood and become a spiritual thing, and he has to complete his life.
Architecture is a bright spot in Zhou Rushui's works, and even illuminates the whole painting.
I know that he graduated from the School of Journalism and Communication, Nanjing University, majoring in advertising, but he did not associate his studies and decoration design with painting. I think the painter's activities can only take exhibition, sketching and reading as the axis, which has little to do with decoration design. After reading Zhou Rushui's works, my heart lit up. Painting is used to express life, and real works of art are an expression of life feelings. For a painter, the works he creates must be cultural precipitation and life experience that cannot be abandoned. I think real works of art come from the depths of artists' hearts.
Architecture is picturesque, and architecture can sing. What happens to Zhou Rushui is often a miracle. In the era when computers did not rise, Zhou Rushui used his hands to draw drawings, and he drew hundreds of drawings. This makes a painter. Someone can paint mountains, water, trees and grass Fine and vivid, but when painting architecture, I write in a hurry. Zhou Rushui painted buildings with few pens, and wrote gods in form, with both form and spirit.
I am full of respect for his pursuit spirit. However, he was flushed, humble and ashamed, saying that so many painters in Lianyungang painted well, and I haven't caught up yet, so I should learn from them.
There is some truth in what he said, which is true. In his business days, he almost left his brush behind. Understandably, can you have your cake and eat it too? Time is fair.
He only picked up his brush again in 2014.
I laughed and said, you can't put down your brush completely. You should be in Cao Ying and thinking about art. To say this, I have my own reason. He didn't take a brush for more than ten years and came out of the mountain again, but his works are refreshing and not what they used to be. How is it possible?
He admitted that when he was in business and didn't take a brush, he always thought about painting and painting in his heart, and often went to Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing to observe art exhibitions.
He followed Tang Hui and Zheng Baizhong, tutors of Beijing Rong Baozhai Painting Academy, to write about the snow in May in Taibai Mountain, Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi Province, to write caves in Yulin, northern Shaanxi Province, and Zhang Ziwen, president of Haizhou Painting Academy, to write temples and temples in Taihang Mountain, Henan Province, Qiyun Mountain and Chaji Ancient Town, Anhui Province.
In the autumn of 2015, he participated in the advanced research class of Shi Enzhao Studio of Northern School Landscape Art Center of Renmin University, which determined his determination to learn the landscape of Northern School. After more than one year's study, his landscape paintings have reached new heights.
While sipping tea and chatting, I talk more, but he talks less. I feel the charm of "blank" in Chinese painting. Like the simple farmers I have seen and respected, he only knows how to bow down and sow seeds on the land, let the seeds germinate, sprout and blossom.
Zhou Rushui sowed the seeds of life on the heavy land. In his works, he can see the endless Taihang Mountains and the towering and handsome Qinling Mountains, which are full of colors and reach "I". Zhou Rushui wants to express people's praise for the new life through his works.
Zhou Rushui uses Chinese paintings to open himself to the world, make his own voice, make the sound of life stream flowing tirelessly, and make the sound of the times running and roaring...
(The author is the vice chairman of Jiangsu Writers Association and a first-class writer)
November 26, 2016
