The painter Cao Lixin and his paintings.

Gou Yiqian

In this era when celebrities in painting and calligraphy are like super girls and bubbles, Mr. Cao Lixin, a painter who lives at the grass-roots level in society, is destined to spend his freehand life in obscurity, simplicity and simplicity! He has been away from media hype for a long time and has no dazzling aura. The only thing he has is his love and persistence in the art of calligraphy and painting, and his narcissism and joy in the process of artistic creation! In the past 30 years of study and creation, he took freehand brushwork of flowers and birds as the main direction, and his calligraphy was also quite skillful. Take painting and writing as the whole of my spare time, persist for a long time, and have a special liking. His four screens of freehand brushwork peony, spring, summer, autumn and winter, plum blossom, bamboo branch and chrysanthemum are gradually loved and collected by the public, especially the freehand brushwork peony, which is vigorous and vigorous, dripping with ink and wash, chic and smooth, gorgeous but not vulgar, charming but not charming. He is good at drawing big pictures, or eight feet two feet is his specialty. His works have been selected into national, provincial and municipal art exhibitions for many times and won awards, which have been well received by people from all walks of life. Member of Gansu Artists Association, special painter of Hunan Furong Painting Academy.

1983, born in a scholarly family, Mr. Cao Lixin, who was only 20 years old, was recruited as a specialized cadre of township cultural stations. Through the training of "Township Cultural Station Training Course" at the county level and the intensive training of Qingyang Art School, he formed an indissoluble bond with calligraphy and painting and embarked on a hard road of self-study. For thirty years, he kept writing, exploring, copying, creating and writing. He is modest and eager to learn, good at learning from others, and can take others' strengths for his own use; Hard-working, quick-thinking, seeking change in replication, and getting new ideas in change. Finally, he formed a style full of ink and wash without losing his statutes, vigorous and bright without being rude, and even some famous artists with high achievements praised him. Mr. Xin Li and I are fellow villagers, and we became attached to calligraphy and painting and made deep friends. I have known him for decades, and I also know his paintings. He is modest and simple. He never talks loudly or makes public, but is quiet and low-key, indifferent to fame and fortune. I am diligent in painting. Know your destiny, have a successful family business and a full house of children and grandchildren. It is the golden age when he should concentrate on painting and creating. I hope that Mr. Xin Li can persevere, move around more and communicate more, be more concise on the basis of skilled techniques, and improve his creative consciousness, so that his taste and taste will be better!

-pitching hall 20 1 1 10.

(Author: Gou Yiqian, a famous calligrapher, president of Qingyang Painting and Calligraphy Art Research Institute, editor-in-chief of Qingyang Painting and Calligraphy. ) Learn from nature and be highly classical and elegant.

-Cao Lixin and his freehand brushwork flowers and birds.

● Beilang

Mr. Cao Lixin has been engaged in Chinese painting for nearly 30 years, and is good at freehand brushwork of flowers and birds, calligraphy and photography. He knows China's long history of painting art like the palm of his hand, and he is proficient in ancient poetry and prose, so as to nourish his obsessed painting career, show his spirit and enrich his spirit. His works have participated in many national, provincial and municipal art exhibitions or won prizes, and won the favor of collectors. With good achievements and fame, he is low-key and calm, simple and kind, modest and sincere, optimistic and confident, and is a real artist. Talking with him about books and paintings, he won't be like those who show off, and a bunch of big and vain theories will gush. However, when it comes to masters in the history of art, he can learn from others. From ancient times in China to the present, he especially admired Ren Bonian and Wu Changshuo, and expounded their artistic concepts and works. Kan Kan talked about them, all of which reflected their extensive knowledge and unique opinions, which was convincing. In artistic practice, he is conscientious and sincere in observing and understanding natural things, studying hard under a lonely lamp at his desk, or going out for further study, which makes his artistic orientation and expression constantly changing, updating and familiar, thus constantly exploring and excavating a deeper and broader artistic realm.

Cao Lixin took a road of inheriting, studying hard, realizing and creating new humanistic and artistic creations. There are innate painting genes in his life. His ancestral home is Qingyang, Gansu, the birthplace of farming culture in China. He was born and raised in Shang Xiao Township, zhenyuan county, which is known as the hometown of calligraphy and painting (now the hometown of China calligraphy named by China Calligraphers Association). His great-grandfather was a famous local painter. He is located in Kongtong Mountain, the holy land of Taoism in Longshang, Pingliang City, Gansu Province, and Jingfushan Mountain, Longxian County, Shaanxi Province. He still retains this nation. My father teaches for a living, but more people know that he is a painter and enjoys a high reputation. Cao Lixin inherited the fine traditions and heritage of his ancestors, the influence of his family and the simple and rich customs here, and stored intangible artistic inspiration and rich creative energy in his life, thus choosing the artistic form representing the most important spirit and concept of China culture-freehand brushwork to express his feelings. What is commendable is that from the initial edification, trial and copying, Cao Lixin, who is quite talented, began to cultivate and constantly strengthen his humanistic consciousness and pure desire for expression in artistic creation at the initial stage of art, thus effectively overcoming and avoiding blind obedience or technical supremacy in his long-term creation. He pays attention to freehand brushwork to depict vivid form and spirit, express the true essence of mind and state of mind, instead of expressing secular hue, so that his works are not contaminated with "tacky" Longdong, where his hometown is located, with pleasant scenery, distinct spring and summer seasons and blooming flowers; The wild fruits in autumn are fresh and moist, and insects and birds are singing; In the middle of winter, it is wrapped in white, spacious and dust-free. The deepest feelings and memories in Cao Lixin's young mind are undoubtedly these mysterious and commercial images, which invisibly provide him with the cultivation of artistic aesthetic interest and the sacred enlightenment and internal motivation of the choice of painting theme, light, color and vision. This is the core content of natural generation advocated by ancient oriental art, and it also makes his true feelings about life and eternal pursuit of truth full of infinite yearning for being kind and beautiful to others. Therefore, I pin my life perception and yearning for beauty on my favorite painting art, calmly and freely convey my personalized value persistence and artistic aesthetic concept to the world, and build my own rich spiritual world accordingly.

Flower-and-bird plants are the essence of nature and the vitality of the universe, each with its own life modality, temperament, color and charm, so as to decorate nature and beautify people's soul and emotional world, and are the friendly and warm dependence and companionship of human beings. Cao Lixin specializes in freehand brushwork of flowers and birds for many years, and is good at freehand brushwork of peony, plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum and lotus. Critics called his work "elegant and fresh." Bold and clever with a pen. In particular, its freehand peony is gorgeous but not vulgar, charming but not charming, clusters of national colors, bursts of fragrance, touching temperament and touching people's hearts. "

Artistic activity is essentially a practice in free creation and pleasure, a rational reflection and personality perfection in exploration, limitation and transcendence, that is, "quality peace of mind", which expresses the philosophical concept of "harmony between man and nature" based on pen and ink. It is the essence and mission of art to embody the Tao. The Doctrine of the Mean says: "Destiny is nature, and frankness is the Tao." The existing way of life and the artistic way are determined by the natural nature of the subject and the object, and strictly follow the law of natural transformation and evolution, that is, the so-called "Tao is nature". Everything in the world is the prototype and enlightenment of artistic symbols (language, writing, color, phonology), just as it is said in "Ancestors": "... look up at the sky, look down at the earth, see the culture of birds and animals, see the suitability of the earth, get close to things, and then gossip to understand the virtues of the gods and the feelings of all things." The language symbol of painting is the mother of language and writing, which permanently maintains its original state and will not be easily polluted, destroyed or deteriorated. This may be the fundamental reason why painting is more intuitive, eye-catching and attractive than other works of art such as literature, and it is also the unique privilege and foundation that it is directly named "art". Cao Lixin is well aware of this, and his creative ideas and the breath conveyed by his works are in the same strain.

In the early 1980s, Cao Lixin graduated from high school. He groped for painting since he was a child, and he learned "the skill of childlike innocence." At that time, it was at the beginning of reform, opening up and all-round construction, and the whole society was digging for talents. He was fortunate to be hired by grassroots township cultural units and engaged in professional painting for more than 20 years. Although fate finally made him leave his familiar and passionate job and become a farmer painter. After years of tempering and forced to make a living, he has been persevering, assiduously studying and practicing, full of confidence and enthusiasm for the painting art he loves, absorbed in trying to figure out his favorite classical masterpieces, and then took them, studied their meaning, tried his best to convey the spirit and draw their rhyme. To this end, in decades of exploration, he insisted on painting until three or four in the morning almost every day. Therefore, his paintings are good at skills, and he is convinced that only when his works are natural can he act spontaneously. At the same time, he is very conscious that it will not go further to copy the works of the ancients blindly or be confined to traditions and taboos. He must seek breakthroughs and innovations in inheritance, so as to combine China painting, an ancient traditional art, with the aesthetic elements of the new era. Therefore, every stage of his transformation is constantly surpassing and refreshing himself. No matter from the aspects of pen and ink language, modeling means, picture texture and so on. Based on tradition and different from the existing ones, his paintings are innovative and simple, which does not bring boredom and aesthetic fatigue to people who love his works. Instead, he makes bold attempts to integrate various styles and expression techniques, so that readers can gain multiple aesthetic feelings and enjoy their hearts.

To sum up, I have the following feelings and understandings about the creative practice of Cao Lixin's freehand flower-and-bird painting-

His creative ideas and persistent practice of imitating nature make his works look primitive and pure. His constant thinking and breakthrough have endowed his paintings with richer colors and aesthetic elements. In the process of challenging and surpassing himself, he did not violate the traditional principle of freehand brushwork and the law of creation, but strictly followed the expressive thinking and theme of freehand brushwork, that is, "writing things and expressing feelings" and pursuing "simplicity outside and beauty inside", which laid the foundation for innovation. He did not deliberately create the aesthetic effect of "defamiliarization", nor did he follow the trend or take extreme "evil thoughts", which led to the disconnection of creation or brought aesthetic estrangement to people. His large-scale works, such as "Rich and Lucky Map", are full of charm, graceful and lofty with pen and ink. Whether it is the shade of color or the gathering and growth of flowers, branches and leaves, flowers and plants are condensed in pure charm and charm, which not only restores the power of nature, but also highlights the image in the author's chest, conveying a strong humanistic atmosphere and the originality and wonder of nature, and the techniques are almost in the forefront. His works, such as A Slender Branch of the Double Ninth Festival, fully reflect his application of texture and verve, pursue a static and dynamic artistic conception, strengthen the magic of color and the verve of form, and make his works convey subtle and exciting beauty.

His requirements for artistic creation are very precise. This is based on his rigorous academic attitude and diligent spirit. He pays attention to his own character, knowledge, talent, thoughts, etc., and is sensitive to everything, inspired by talent and emotion, and sets the tone of his works with character. More importantly, he attaches great importance to the freehand brushwork language and strives for perfection in the organic integration of points, lines and surfaces, especially in the generation of "surfaces". Without perfunctory description of every detail image, he is extremely concerned about the feeling of the whole picture, the overall atmosphere and situation of the picture, and freely uses and controls the overall tone and configuration of the work. Give full play to your wisdom and imagination between pen and ink. Pay equal attention to pen and ink and color. Appreciating his works, such as One Branch and One Leaf Always Affects Emotion, Fragrant Breeze and Perfect Flowers, the most direct feeling is that his artistic language is rich, his understanding of China's freehand flower-and-bird painting is thorough and profound, and his application of techniques is close to skillful. Looking at its weather from a distance and its brush and ink from a close look, all meet the requirements of freehand brushwork for painters in ink color, brushwork, structure and emotional expression. The works are painted with large areas of ink and wash, and they are quite particular about brushwork, implication and gestures. When drawing a leaf, brush it with a pen, and the leaf will grow freely, rich and rich. Dealing with the relationship between likeness and likeness embodies rational thinking and passionate publicity, and has artistic appeal and aesthetic analysis space. In "Out of Mud Without Staining", the leaves with thick ink and light color are particularly eye-catching and take the lead, occupying most of the picture. But the core of the painting is the lotus flower, which is particularly prominent on the right side of the picture, gorgeous, intense and elegant. Although there are only a few two or three flowers, people's eyes will still quickly pass over the leaves and gather on them. This is the author's ingenuity, which can be said to be intended to follow the pen.

He is more focused on things other than painting. The parent bodies of flower-and-bird paintings are all natural things. Therefore, Cao Lixin is not limited to the creation itself, nor does he blindly ponder over the works of those masters and capture their skills. Instead, the flowers and birds he wants to express are set in a broad background with life perception and locked. Everything in the background is natural. He pays close attention to the fragrance, vividness and charm of flowers and birds in nature, including the light in different situations, the natural framework of flowers and branches, the transition and change of light and shade, the amplitude of swing and the instantaneous illusion caused to the viewer. This meticulous observation, judgment and memory became the main source of his inspiration and imagination, and at the same time, it also avoided repeating with others because of borrowing off-the-shelf technology, and revealed traces of repetition in his works. What we see on the drawing paper is naturally the second background of his creation, a small universe of art, and the moment when his works were born. Therefore, Cao Lixin's efforts outside painting are profound and beneficial. He organically combines the hard experience of his works, his understanding of social life and life existence, the modal changes of flowers, birds, insects and fish, and the aesthetic preferences of the people. His sketches, such as Birthday, Mo Hanyuan, Fish, etc., are childish, rustic and humanistic, full of the natural flavor, childlike innocence and unlimited creativity of the world. The works are vivid, intimate and full of charm, which satisfies the acceptance psychology and aesthetic enjoyment of multi-level audiences.

His works reveal a kind of vitality and high classical elegance. Flaubert, when discussing the necessity of precision and conciseness in literary expression, said: "A phenomenon can only be expressed in one way, can only be summarized by a noun, can only be modified by an adjective, and can only be vivid by a verb." By extension, language is much richer than painting symbols. Even if the master's standards remain the same, painters should be more cautious and more harsh on themselves. Enhance the sensitivity of the author to the object of expression, and freely control the creative elements such as pen and ink, color, emotion, truth, speed and configuration. Only in this way can we create classic works that are refreshing and shocking to the senses, and realize the sublimation of the creator's spirit while prolonging the life of the works. His four screens of plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum are vigorous and steady, ready to go with pen and ink, full of vitality and charm. In the interweaving and infiltration of ink and color, color is intended to help ink, with a coherent charm, classical elegance, rich sense of texture and rhythm, full of poetry and painting, quaint and ancient, abandoning the "Jianghu atmosphere" and "street atmosphere", with strong personal feelings and spiritual dimensions, and containing profound thinking activities and visual impact.

His works are full of a simple and quiet atmosphere, showing outstanding independent character and creative consciousness. He has been living in seclusion in the grass-roots villages of China, putting his body and soul in the downtown and star-studded places far away from the hustle and bustle of the so-called "cultural and artistic center". In addition, he has no direct relationship between teachers and students, and thinks and explores independently, which makes his works reveal personalized and creative aesthetic characteristics and highlights the author's independent and extraordinary artistic personality. This is the painting world full of mutual imitation, which needs deep thinking. In his view, the practice of painting art is more about creation than learning, and it is a hearty expression of temperament, hobbies, interests and understanding, rather than blindly pursuing and learning from books or fellow travelers. Because he is "in the wild", folk, far away from the central system and market mechanism, the objects of his inspiration, discovery and epiphany can only be unpolluted, natural and pure human things. In such pictures as Farewell to Wealth and Good Luck, Four Screens of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, and Spring Scenery, Cao Lixin skillfully shows the flowers and plants' floweriness, similarity, yin and yang, ethereal and wonderful with accurate and true shapes and ups and downs. What we appreciate is the life noumenon of flowers with diverse forms, clean bodies and active vitality, and what we feel is a quiet, mixed and harmonious atmosphere full of movement, a kind of wildness and purity. It symbolizes the author's independent and self-reliant personality spirit, and expresses the author's spiritual language and personality consciousness. In other words, his creation is free and voluntary under the premise of artistic essence, and it is conscious and true. He is a painter who always pursues innovation. Each of his works has a distinct personality, but emphasizes its differences, unlike some painters who have been repeating themselves at present. He is independent, and independence means getting rid of deliberate creation. This may be the essence of respecting individual independence and creativity in the construction of advanced culture advocated at present.

All works of art are the portrayal of the author's mind. Painting requires artists to restore the inherent requirements of nature, but after all, it is the artistic "restoration" of artists' transformation. He asked the creator to sleepwalk outside things, melt into things, see through Wan Li, focus on square inches, and create an environment with his heart. Cao Lixin's works clearly show that his knowledge is absolutely unwilling to stay in the stage of feeling, which limits his emotion and subjective consciousness, which are the most essential and primitive artistic impulses in his creation. In fact, I once asked Cao Lixin directly: "Why do you paint?" "What kind of ideal realm are you going to push painting art to?" ..... To these questions, Cao Lixin just smiled. He is not ignorant, nor does he show the slightest confusion. He suddenly made me realize that these questions could not have been answered. No matter at the level of works or criticism, any standard or scale of artistic creation may be one-sided, or even blind our false concepts or conclusions. As the saying goes, "Tao can be Tao, which is extraordinary" and "the mysterious is mysterious, which is a strange door." If there is a convincing answer, it is only injected and integrated into his creation.

I also know that most painting masters stick to their inner "Tao" and devote themselves to practice, or realize "Tao", or practice "Zen" or approach "Buddha". And the Buddha said, "Don't say, don't say, it's wrong." Su Shi also said: "The heart of a real person is like a pearl in the deep; Everyone's heart is like soaking in water. " I know my speech will be full of loopholes, but fortunately, all the criticism is just the monologue of the commentator, and I am straightforward. The above stupid theory is also a free dialogue between me and Mr. Cao Lixin's works, but he himself was not present.

20 13-4-2 Yu Qingyang apartment

(The author Bei Lang, whose real name is Liu Penghui, was born in Zhenyuan, Gansu Province in the 1970s. He is a senior lecturer at Qingyang Institute of Technology. His works have been published in People's Literature, Poetry Magazine, Literary Newspaper, Guangming Daily and national core journals, and he was selected as an authoritative anthology in the annual election. He wrote a collection of poems, double bass and literary criticism in Gansu, that is, the book of catching shadows. )