Chinese culture upholds life and ambience. The beginning and the end goals of the long historical development and rich cultural content of Chinese painting are transmitting the spirit, freehand brushwork, capturing poetic charm and meaning, that is to say, “presenting what is seen in the mind’s eye of the artist”. All this has jelled into the unique style we call Chinese painting. At the heart of art is the search for commonality among differences. This is true among different nations and among different peoples. During this age of openness and integration, an artist can only preserve the special artistic characteristics when he can use “the times” as a resource, be flexible, take advantage of other’s strong points to complement his own short-comings, so as to envision greater commonalities amid the greater differences.

　“I have a Meditation lamp; shining alone, known alone. I choose without the choosing; I learn without the learning.” (“On knowledge” in Sequel to Appreciating Poetry (Xu Shipin) by Yuan Mei 1716 – 1798). Our predecessors left us with many valuable things which are useful. However, they are not “useful” until we can “benefit” from them. Painting is motivated by feelings. A painter paints his own world where his feelings take him. Feelings are related to aesthetic realms that may be higher or lower, making us strive to go higher, and only then be shown the true character of life. However, it is not enough for an artist just to have feelings. In order to complete any work, an artist must have expressive ability. The expression of Chinese painting is based on life, and its marvelous tricks are done by brush and ink. On the technical side, “brush-ink style” has two meanings: brush-usage and ink-usage. One is the combination of brush and ink in expressing images. The method of combination refers to the combinations of the following opposites: having with not having, black with white, dark with light, dry with wet, details with outlines, complexity with simplicity, density with sparsity, subtle with showy, regular with irregular, interlocking with piling, broken with connecting, shoving with resisting, breaking off with building up, carrying with being carried, complete with incomplete, converging with dispersing, void with concrete, so as to reach sublimity. The technique of Chinese painting is the technique of the brush and the ink; the form of Chinese painting is the form of the brush and the ink; and the expression of Chinese painting is the expression of the brush and the ink. Brush-ink is simultaneously the means and the end. The profundity of brush-ink reflects the unique and supreme creative ability of the Chinese people and it embodies the free will and self-consciousness of humanity. As a means of expression, “brush-ink” is both the beginning and the end, the inside and the outside, and it is “the most suitable harmony of surface and inner feelings and a concrete form of the spirit”. “The success or failure of the theory of painting rests on brush-ink.” If we do not attach such importance to brush-ink, Chinese painting would not be regarded as “unique” in the world. Chinese painting would lose its power and colour, and it would be minimized, marginalized and alienated.

　There is no fixed formula for brush-ink in artistic creation. After all, it belongs to the individual and cannot be defined as a concept suitable for every one. Brush-ink styles are different for artists of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279) and the Yuan Dynasty 1271 – 1368). There is the brush-ink style of Fan Kuan, Dong Yuan, Mi Fei, Mi Youren and Li Tang; and there is the brush-ink style of Huang Gongwang and Ni Yunlin; there is another brush-ink style of Dong Qichang, Shi Tao and Wang Yuanqi; and there is quite another brush-ink style of Huang Binhong and Li Keran. Whatever brush-ink style an artist uses will determine the image he/she creates. Whatever brush-ink style the artist uses will determine the significance of the work and its ambience. Brush-ink style actually is one and the same as aesthetic realm. It is said: “Expression and object are one inseparable entity. The expression is the object, and outer and inner are one. If you seek the object without regard to its expression, the object will no longer have its former authenticity” (An Outline History of Chinese Literature by Qian Zhongshu 1910 – 1998). Liu Xuzai of the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911) says: “The writings of Han Yu (768 - 824) seem to have arisen during the “Dark Ages” (from the Eastern Han to the Sui Dynasties), but they actually are the concentrated achievements of that period. This is because only those who can make use of their predecessors can change tradition. Since they are able to embrace everything, they are able to discard anything!” (On Art, On Literature, [Yigai.Wengai]). All those who have made significant achievements are those who were able to embrace and discard at will the influence of others, so as to achieve the “satisfying state” of creative individuation.

　Brush-ink style is always changing and ever evolving. Life is always changing so style must change with it, although there may be some elements that are unchanging. Chinese art and western art interact and compare themselves with each other. Chinese artists must never stop developing, and never be conservative with their techniques. Based on the foundation of learning from their predecessors, they should adopt whatever factors from outside that are beneficial; develop them and adapt them to the needs of the times. However, they must “sinacize” adopted elements and integrate them and make them their own. Brush-ink style must be continuously enriched, deepened and enlarged, but it must always reveal a unique realm. It must not be and should not be replaced by any other art form. It should remain a form of beauty that is independent and sets its own standards. It should establish the uniqueness of our people and show our up-to-date qualities. This is an essential element of independence and an essential element of peak performance. Wang Fuzhi of the Qing Dynasty said: “The Book of Changes says, ‘The same goal via different paths, one and the same are the myriad concerns’ which shows that there is ‘a unity that pervades everything’.” If we say, “different paths lead to the same goal, and the myriad concerns are one and the same, then that shows that everything is pervaded by a unity.” He also said, “the minutest distinction can make for giant differences!” (Reading the Complete Four Books). The different art forms around the world are “different paths to the same goal, and their myriad concerns are one and the same,” and the proper way for the future development of Chinese painting is “the same goal via different paths, and one and the same among the myriad concerns”.

　Bu Yantu of the Qing Dynasty said that the mountain-and-water landscape paintings can not exist beyond brush-ink and the scenes. Scenes are aesthetic realms. Realms can captivate people and the brush can capture realms. If a painting does not have an aesthetic realm, it will not please the eye of the viewer. If the brush-ink style is mediocre and weak, it will fall short of high caliber appreciation. For Chinese landscape painting, the sublime is when “brush and realm captivate each other”. I pursue “mutual captivation of brush and realm,” but I lack both the talent and the skill. On the other hand, I still strive for that goal even though I cannot reach it. Confucius said: “The main purpose of hunting is not just to get the skin, but to test different strengths. This is the way from old.” I will continue to strive, so as not to shame myself.