逸览，这个名字，父亲给我取的，我很是喜欢。我自幼受父亲的艺术熏陶，爱上了中国画。在漫长的艺术创作道路上，走了将近半个世纪，这其中有曲折坎坷的经历，也有发自内心的愉悦。在创作实践中，时常有一些创作理念在脑中涌现，创作灵感在心头激荡，有时还会悟出一些新的理儿;而当一幅作品完成时，我会对着画仔细端详、琢磨，渐渐有了些心得和体悟。现将我的想法总结在一首诗中：逸笔纵横不逾矩，览观今古创新意。小事糊涂大事清，独上云天阔步行。这二十八个字，凝聚了我的艺术观，也阐明了基本画理。现在让我一一道来。

　　逸笔纵横不逾矩

　　画家作画能达到逸笔纵横这一步，体现了画家深厚的艺术修养和功力。俗话说“桩打多深，楼造多高”。但话又得说回来，画家“功力”不单单是笔墨技巧，这“功力”不像打桩那样，只要外界不断施压，桩就能打得深。画家的“功力”，还体现在一个画家矢志艺术的毅力和多方面的修养，如文学的、美学的修养以及科学的知识、道德的素养等等，最终从“气”与“神”两个方面体现出来。不逾矩，这个“矩”，就是一个画家对自己民族艺术的信念。保持中国画风的独立性，才能立足于世界艺术之林。这个“矩”不能破，否则不是中国画了。

　　览观今古创意新

　　中国画代表了东方艺术的特点，有博大精深的传统，历史悠久，名家辈出，风格多样，成为中华民族文化的一个重要组成部分。随着绘画的发展，画论也高度发展，两千多年来无数画家、美术理论家积累了许多宝贵的创作经验，不断丰富了传统画论的内容，不但对气韵、形神、笔墨、章法等有大量精辟入理的见解，而且在画史、画品、画评、画诀等方面，也有众多有价值的论著，供画家学习研究。这些宝贵的民族文化遗产，很值得我们重视和发扬。画家多读书，多研究学习前人精辟的见解，大有益处。唐朝大诗人杜甫有名言：“读书破万卷，下笔如有神。”充分阐明了要多读书，多学习理论知识，才能写出深刻完美的作品。作文如此，作画也同此理。只知苦画，不知读书，不懂画理，一个画匠而已。览观今古，目的何在?曰：创作出具有时代性的好作品来。

　　小事糊涂大事清

　　此语有两个方面的含义：一是指画的方面，画家在创作过程中要注重大的效果，不能因追求刻画小的方面而忽略画面大的效果，俗话说“抓了芝麻，丢了西瓜”。这方面前人早有论述。汉代《淮南子》的“寻常之外，画者谨髦而失貌”，已指出了作画不能仅追求细部而忽略整体。所以在创作过程中，无碍大局的小处要“糊涂”点，这“糊涂”不是真糊涂，做到这一点才是画中高手。二是指人品。有关人品与画品的评说，前人颇多论述，当今美术评论家也无持异见，可见学画者先要学人品。南宋秦桧书法再好，因是一个坑害民族英雄岳飞的奸臣，为人民所痛恨而唾弃。所以画家要懂得做一个品德高尚的人，所谓“君子坦荡荡”，心胸开阔，心无旁骛，画品自会随之提高，赢得世人的赞扬和尊敬。

　　独上云天阔步行

　　综上所述，一个画家进入以上三方面的境界，就可以驾轻就熟，在艺术的天地中自由翱翔，创作出更多更美的好作品，为我们今天改革开放的新时代作出自己的贡献。进入“独上云天阔步行”的境界能不视为人生快活事?!

　　我自幼在大石斋画桌旁为父亲拉纸，十余岁也曾随母亲画过书签、檀香扇，十七岁进画院学习国画，弹指一瞬间，如今已年近七旬。我今后将一如既往，沿着自己认定的道路走下去。陆游诗云：“天公不负书生眼，留向人间看太平。”为此，我不揣浅陋，坦诚直言，愿与同道画友共勉之。

　　My name, Yilan, is given by my father and I like it very much. Under my father’s influence, I have loved Chinese painting since I was young. On the endless road of artistic creation, I have walked for near half a century and experienced joys and delights as well as twists and setbacks. During my creation, some ideas and inspiration constantly swirl in my mind, even sometimes I could understand some new sense; and then, when I finish a piece of works, I would face my works, examining and thinking carefully, therefore, gradually I realize and learn something. Now I put my thought in one poem: Paint unrestrainedly but break no rules, perceive the modern and ancient to produce works with innovation. Care what matters and let trifles go, stride forward with joy and independence. The above poem not only condenses my artistic view, but also clarifies the basic painting principle. Now let me enumerate one by one.

　　Paint Unrestrainedly but Break No Rules

　　Unrestrained painting, the realm the painter strives for, embodies the painter’s profound artistic accomplishment and cultivation. As the old saying goes, the depth of the piles determines the height of the building. But on the other hand, the “cultivation” of the painter does not only refer to his brushing techniques, because “cultivation” acts not in the same way as piling: the more force acts on, the deeper the piles will be in. What’s more, the “cultivation” of a painter also includes his devoted perseverance and cultivation in many aspects, such as in literature, aesthetics, science and morals, and eventually, his “cultivation” is expressed in “energy” and “spirit”. In “break no rules”, the “rules” here refer to the faith one painter holds to his own national art. Only by keeping the independence of Chinese painting style, can it stands independently in the forest of world arts. If the “rules” are broken, it is not Chinese painting any more.

　　Perceive the Modern and Ancient to Produce Works with Innovation

　　Chinese painting, with the characteristics of profound tradition, long history, constant emergence of celebrities and a variety of styles, represents the features of oriental art and constitutes one indispensible part of Chinese national culture. With the development of painting, painting theory also advances rapidly. For two thousand years, art theorists accumulate much precious creation experience, which continuously enriches the traditional theory. Not only a lot of ingenious and insightful viewpoints on flavor, form and spirit, brush and ink as well as presentation style appear, but also a plenty of valuable essays and books on painting history, quality, comments and techniques emerge. These precious national cultural heritages provide helpful reference for painters to consult and deserve our cherishment and enhancement. It is beneficial for the painter to read more books and to study our predecessors’ insightful understanding. Du Fu, the famous poet in Tang Dynasty, once said: “Thousands of knowledge accumulation breeds a godlike mind”, which fully demonstrates that only by reading more books, learning more theoretical knowledge, can we produce profound and perfect works. So does painting. If one only knows painting and does not read books, nor does he understand painting theory, he is merely a painter. What’s the purpose of perceiving the modern and ancient? The answer is to produce a piece of up-to-date epochal art.

　　Care What Matters and Let Trifles Go

　　The sentence includes two aspects: one refers to painting. During creation, the painter needs to pay attention to the overall effect. It is not wise to focus on the minor aspect and neglect the overall effect, just as the old saying goes: “pick up sesame seeds but put aside watermelons”. Our ancestors long before realize this. In Huai Nan Zi, a book in Han Dynasty, a sentence says “If the painter cares too much about the petty things, his works will lose the whole appearance”, which points out that when painting, the painter should not pursue the details and neglect the whole. Therefore, during creation, the real master would let go the trifles that do not matter. The second aspect refers to moral quality. Many predecessors have commented on moral quality and painting morals and present art reviewers hold no different views, therefore, to learn painting, one should learn how to be a man with morals. Qin Hui, a treacherous court official in Southern Song Dynasty, no matter how well he does in calligraphy, is loathed and scorned by people for his entrapping Yue Fei, a national hero. In this way, a painter should be a gentleman with virtues. As the old saying goes: “A gentleman is open and poised”, if a painter is open and stays focused, his painting morals will improve and gradually he will win the praise and respect from people.

　　Stride Forward with Joy and Independence

　　In summary, if a painter possesses the above three aspects, he would soar in the art kingdom, freely and with ease, and create more perfect works to contribute to our reform and opening-up era. Isn’t it a cheerful thing to stride forward with joy and independence?!

　　When I was young, I stood at the side of painting table in Dashi Studio to pull the paper for my father. When I was a teenager, I ever painted on the bookmarks and sandalwood fans under my mother’s help. When I was 17 years old, I entered Academy to learn Chinese painting. Time flies. Now I am nearly seventy. In the future, I will continue to pursue along the road I persist. Lu You once said: “The ruler of Heaven will not let the scholars down and leave them in the world of peace”. Therefore, I dare to be frank and express my shallow view, and I hope my painter friends would get some encouragement and advance with me together.