Ms. Guan Jia is a young artist with a sense of purpose. Her university tutor, Mao DaiZong, the former dean of the Art College of Shandong Arts University, was a classmate of mine at Qufu Normal University, and we have had a friendship of over half a century. Recently, I have systematically studied some of Ms. Guan's works, which are similar in style to Mao's, but also have their own distinctive features, especially her original work "Village" created during her stay in Nanping, Anhui, which has left a particularly deep impression on me. Therefore, I will provide a critique of his works.
Guan Jia (left) and Feng Sixiao (center) have a tea conversation
Ms. Guan Jia has a special fondness for the scenery of southern China, where the rural architecture is unique. The black and white world in the green mountains and clear waters is like a Chinese literati painting, where the most simple black and white are used to create elegant and understated paintings without colors. Being immersed in this breathtaking scenery, the mountains stretch out slowly, and the clouds hovering above the mountain ridges after a rain create a mystical atmosphere. Bamboo forests are intertwined, and the fragrance of osmanthus trees fills the entire village. Enjoying the mountain breeze, one can experience the boundless charm of nature.
Guan Jia (left) analyzes the works of Feng Sixiao (right)
Ms. Guo Jia's "Village" is a depiction of the overall scenery of Nanping Village, where black-and-white houses are scattered sparsely in nature, arranged in an orderly manner. Ms. Guo uses warm yellow tones of medium yellow to express the sunlight on the white walls, while the shadows are treated with cool tones of blue and purple, creating a strong contrast to make the noontime sunlight taste more prominent. For the color of the tiles, Ms. Guo bravely used black, as only black can express the strength and inner truth of the tiles. In Chinese painting art, the status of black is crucial, and the literati painting that has occupied the status of Chinese painting for thousands of years is the black revolutionary period, whose color changes are reflected in the ink application and the five colors are all present, as stated by Jiang Chengqing in "A Theory of Chinese Colors": "Black is a force." Black is a very mysterious color, and the color expression it expresses in painting has no substitute, as if it contains a huge visual impact inside.
The village of Nanping is hidden in the shades of black and white, with the black tiles and white walls creating a vibrant natural scene. The black tiles and white walls, which are originally colorless, emit an infinite amount of brilliance. Since oil paint and ink are two completely different materials, oil paint cannot achieve the fluidity of ink. It is very difficult to use oil paint to paint the fluidity of ink. Therefore, the study of the use of black in Chinese literati paintings cannot merely stop at the superficial surface of materials, but must go deeper and learn the spiritual expression behind the use of black and white colors. The purity and brightness of the black color in the painting are influenced by the position of the building and the ambient color, and the black blocks in the foreground have the highest purity. The black blocks located behind are intentionally mixed with blue-gray to lower their purity. Through the use of shape and color, a visual deep perspective is created, expressing the serene atmosphere of the Jiangnan village. Ms. Guan has a solid foundation and a certain artistic talent. I hope Ms. Guan will continue to strengthen her training in perspective, learn from the experiences of Western excellent artists, combine Chinese characteristics, and draw on the strengths of various schools to form her own unique style of oil painting that blends Eastern and Western elements.
(Author：Feng Si-xiao, born in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China in June 1948, graduated from Qingdao Institute of Fine Arts and Fine Arts Department of Qufu Normal University, National First-class Artist, member of China Artists Association, honorary president of Shandong Watercolor Art Institute, honorary member of the Royal Society of British Artists. In October 2017, Feng Si-xiao held a solo watercolor painting exhibition at the British Museum in the UK, and gave a speech at the University of the Arts London (integrating the essence of Western and Chinese culture, creating a national and contemporary style), after the exhibition, the Royal Society of British Artists conferred the honorary member title on Feng Si-xiao, which was the first time for an Asian to receive this honor in more than 100 years. In addition, Feng Si-xiao was invited to teach in the United States for many years, and held individual exhibitions in San Francisco, Hawaii, and Canada, and was awarded the honorary citizen title of Pino, California in 1997. At the same time, he has a Feng Si-xiao Studio in London. Feng Si-xiao has published many works, including "Watercolor Techniques with Wooden Brushes", "Feng Si-xiao Watercolor Paintings", "China's Contemporary Famous Watercolor Painter Feng Si-xiao", "Selected Works of Feng Si-xiao", and "Feng Si-xiao Art Collection" (upper and lower volumes). His works are collected by art galleries, museums, and art academies in China, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and South Korea.
About the artist:
Guan Jia, also known as Ruo Ran'er, is a young painter, entrepreneur, college mentor, Bachelor of Fine Arts from Shandong Art Institute, Master of Fine Arts from Shandong University, visiting scholar at Stanford University, founder of YiShuoQuan Art Education, and the principal of Ruo Raner Art Studio. She is a member of the China Painters and Calligraphers Association, a member of the Shandong University Alumni Innovation and Entrepreneurship Federation, an external academic mentor for the Art and Design College of Qilu University of Technology, and an external employment and entrepreneurship mentor for the Art and Design College of Shandong Transportation University. She has published a monograph, "Analyzing the Secrets of Oil Painting: Basic Techniques for Landscape Sketching," with Yangliuqing Painting and Calligraphy Society, and her works have won the first prize in the 11th National Art Education Achievement Exhibition and the Global Gold Award of the Andersen (International) Art Award. She has more than ten national copyrights, and her personal artworks have been collected by prestigious institutions such as the Library of Shandong University, Beijing Bird's Nest Art Museum, and the Shandong China Literature and Art Museum.
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