文 / 羅宗海
水彩是國際性的畫種，源於英國，傳入中國過百年，已經到了厚積薄發的階段。從簡單的模仿西方水彩畫技法到充分立足於本土傳統藝術的創作，從過去單一的情趣到目前具有豐富的表現力，水彩畫藝術在我國發展得十分迅速。越來越多的水彩畫家不斷挖掘出新的表現素材，撞擊出新的藝術靈感，不斷有新鮮的作品出現。
畫家不同的氣質也決定了對自然物象的感悟和表達各有千秋。新銳女畫家蕭芬琪，香港大學文學院藝術學系哲學博士，她的繪畫創作築基於其美術史研究，多年來積極探研中國寫意畫與西方繪畫的融合，藝術面貌別具一格。蕭芬琪十分鍾情於荷塘，她的畫作大多是荷塘美景，十分生動傳神，色彩多變，富有靈性，意韻雋永，雖系匠心鍛煉，卻又歸於自然，對物象具有準確把握和高度概括的能力。看似隨心所欲、一揮而就，卻是筆筆見功夫，呈現出豐富的內涵。造型以簡勝繁，側重神韻，用中國的意象精神表達自然物象，以抽象的形式來表達自己的藝術理念，將自己的內心世界融化於色彩，浸染於水色，畫出了自己的真性情。
蕭芬琪的色彩表現能力很出色，比如強弱、虛實、冷暖的關係等，無論是她之前的油畫還是這次結集出版的水彩畫都能看出她在這方面的特殊天賦。畫面上色調的處理，鮮明的強烈色塊和跳動的筆觸，訴說著她新的探索。脫胎於中國傳統繪畫的線條，如行雲流水，頗具現代趣味。她筆下的荷與月與山，有如黃鐘大呂者，莊嚴神聖，又有如洞簫牧笛者，洋溢著田園牧歌般的氣息，在技法運用上不難感到中國傳統筆墨的沉澱，令人倍感親切。
蕭芬琪的水彩畫是水彩與水墨結合、渾然一體的嶄新寫意風格的水彩畫，大量中國畫寫意元素的運用，豐富了她水彩畫的表現力。她的作品整體感強，大膽地省略了無關緊要的細部，著眼於畫面大結構、大色調和大色塊的整體把握，又有精到的細部刻畫，特別是靈動巧思的精心構圖，使得作品有很強的感染力。從這本畫集的作品可以看到屬於年輕人的探求與熱情，也充分折射出畫家對中國美學思想的感悟。
作為一位年輕畫家，蕭芬琪能堅持追求藝術性，始終把藝術性視為作品的靈魂，表現出自己的獨特風範，實屬難能可貴。她的水彩畫有情有韻，生機勃勃，糅合了水墨與油畫的技巧，在內容上有自己獨到的見解，在形式上有時代氣息和自己的風格，在水彩這一畫種上找到了新突破，在水、色的交融、衝撞與滲透中帶給人新奇的感受，是真正有創意、有畫家個性特色的作品。長江後浪推前浪，青出於藍而勝於藍，相信未來蕭芬琪定能創作出更多優秀的藝術作品，創造出更廣闊的藝術天地！
（本文作者為已故著名畫家、原中國美協水彩畫藝術委員會顧問、原廣東省水彩畫研究會會長）
Interest of Lotus Produced by Poetic Watercolor
By Luo Zonghai
Watercolor is an international painting. It originated from England and has been introduced into China for more than 100 years. It has reached the stage of accumulation and development to make a difference. The art of watercolor painting has been developed very rapidly in China, from simple imitation of Western watercolor painting techniques to creation fully based on local traditional art, as well as from the past single taste to the current rich expression. More and more watercolor painters have been constantly digging out new expressive materials and striking new artistic inspirations. Hence, new works have been constantly emerging.
Different temperaments of painters also determine their own perceptions and expressions of natural objects. Siu Fun Kee, a female rising star in painting, holds the degree of doctor of philosophy from the Department of Fine Arts at Faculty of Arts of the University of Hong Kong. Her painting creation is based on her study of art history. She has been actively exploring the integration of Chinese freehand brushwork and Western painting for many years with unique artistic features. Siu Fun Kee is very fond of the lotus pond. Most of her paintings are beautiful scenery of the lotus pond. They are vivid, colorful, spiritual and meaningful. Although they are ingenious, they belong to nature. The painter has the ability to accurately grasp and highly summarize the objects. It seems that she just paints at will; however, her brush does show the skill as well as rich connotation. For the style, she prefers simpler instead of complex, with emphasis on charm. She expresses natural images with Chinese imagery spirit and shows her own artistic ideas in abstract form. She melts her inner world into color, immerses herself in water color, and paints her true feelings.
Siu Fun Kee's ability of color expression is very outstanding, such as the relationship between strength and weakness, virtual and reality, cold and warm, etc. Both her previous oil paintings and the watercolor paintings published in this album can see her special talent in this aspect. Her new exploration can be told by the treatment of color tone, bright and intense color blocks, and beating strokes on the screen. The lines derived from traditional Chinese painting, like flowing clouds and running water, are rather with modern taste. The lotus, moon and mountain in her works are like one's resonant voice ringing out clear as a bell, which is solemn and sacred. They are also like the songs of flute, which are full of pastoral atmosphere. It is not difficult to feel the precipitation of traditional Chinese brush and ink in the application of techniques, which makes people feel more cordial.
Siu Fun Kee's watercolor painting is a new freehand style watercolor painting combining watercolor and ink. The expressive force of her watercolor painting has been enriched by the application of a large number of freehand brushwork elements from Chinese painting. Her works have a strong overall sense, boldly omitting insignificant details, as well as focusing on the overall grasp of the picture's large structure, large tones and large color blocks. There are also exquisite details, especially the delicate composition of the ingenuity, which makes her works very appealing. From the works in this album, we can see the exploration and enthusiasm belonging to young people. It also fully reflects the painter's perception of Chinese aesthetics.
As a young painter, Siu Fun Kee has been able to insist on the pursuit of artistry. She always regards artistry as the soul of her work and shows her own unique style, which is really commendable. Her watercolor paintings are full of emotion, rhyme and vitality. They combine the skills of ink painting and oil painting. She has her own unique opinion on the content and has the atmosphere of the times as well as her own style in the form. She has found a new breakthrough in the painting of watercolor. It brings a novel feeling in the blending, collision and penetration of water and color. It is a truly creative work with the painter's personality. There is a saying that people are stronger and better from generation to generation. I believe in the future, Siu Fun Kee will be able to create more excellent works of art and create a broader art world.
(The author is a deceased famous painter, former consultant of Watercolor Art Committee of Chinese Artists Association and President of Guangdong Watercolor Painting Research Association)