Mao Zedong: Ode to the Plum Blossom 毛泽东：咏梅

The great leader Mao Zedong of China is also recognised as a great poet and calligrapher. His poems are widely written by calligraphers and 'Ode to the Plum Blossom' is one of such poems.

Ode to the Plum Blossom (1961.12)

Wind and rain escorted Spring's departure,
Flying snow welcome Spring's return.
On the ice-clad rock rising high and sheer
A flower blossom sweet and fair.

Sweet and fair, she craves not Spring for herself alone,
To be the harbinger of Spring she is content.
When the mountain flowers are in full bloom
She will smile mingling in their midst.

中国伟大的领袖也是个公认的大诗人与书法家。很多书法家喜欢书写他的诗词，而‘咏梅’就是其中的一首词。

咏梅

风雨送春归，飞雪迎春到。

已是悬崖百丈冰，犹有花枝俏。

俏也不争春，只把春来报。

待到山花烂漫时，她在丛中笑。

The Qin Clerical Script 秦隶

The inscription on bamboo slips in the Qin and Han dynasties was a transitional form between ancient and modern Chinese characters. In its early stage, there were more ancient characters, and in its later stage, the characters were closer those used in clerical script, cursive scripts and regular script which are popular today. Although those inscriptions were not as abstruse as ancient characters, there were unique in their own way.

Many of the inscriptions on wooden or bamboo slips or silk in the Qin dynasty are in clerical script. Qin Shihuang acknowledged small seal as the standard script but clerical script would be used as well. Bamboo slips of the Qin dynasty unearthed in Shuihudi near Yunmeng in Hubei province showed the Qin’s way of writing. It is believed that those inscriptions are real Qin clerical acript with its origin in the Zhou dynasty. In the time of Qin Shihuang, both seal script and clerical script were used and it is difficult to tell which is official and which is not in that period.

Qin clerical script is also known as ancient clerical script, which is a transitional form between ancient script and modern script.

Many excavations testified that there was clerical script before Qin dynasty. The first Emperor’s character renovation measurement was to ban those ancient characters in the other six states. The inscriptions on silk and wooden or bamboo slips, which were closer in clerical script, were untouched. On the contrary, Qin Shihuang ordered that the simplified form of characters be collected and made into a new font, and this is the origin of clerical script in the Qin dynasty. The presence of clerical script which is much simpler than previous scripts not only met the political requirement but also revealed people’s pursuit of efficiency in the Qin dynasty.

.

秦汉简牍文字处于古今文字的过渡阶段，前期有较多的古文成分，后期渐近于现今流行的隶书、草书和楷书。它虽然不如古文那样深奥，但却有特别之处。

秦简帛书中有大量的秦隶。秦始皇以小篆为标准字体，同时也以隶书为辅助字体。湖北云梦睡虎地秦简的发现，展示了秦人的墨迹。有人认为此秦简是真正的秦隶，秦隶远祖可推到周朝。

秦隶也称古隶，是汉字从古文字变到今文字之间的一种字体。

大量出土的实物证实，秦以前就有隶书。秦文字改革的禁令是针对六国古文字，并未涉及正在隶化的简帛文。相反，秦始皇下令将民间汉字简约写法的新因素整理出来，加以系统化。于是初步形成了一种新的字体，这就是秦隶。它的出现是为了适应政治的需要，避繁难、趋简易是它的基本特征，也反映了秦人省事讲效率的时代风尚。

He Zhizhang 贺知章

The Four Masters of early Tang dynasty mainly made achievement in regular script. In the prime and middle periods of the Tang dynasty, the Three Outstanding Calligraphers for Cursive Script, namely He Zhizhang, Zhang Xu and Huai Su, who had been the most innovative calligraphers with high time spirit, fully developed the romantic calligraphic style represented by cursive script. With their unremitting efforts, cursive script witnessed an unprecedented thriving in the history of calligraphy.

He Zhizhang (659 – 744), a native of Yong Xing, Yuezhou (now Xiaoshan in Zhejiang), was famous for his cursive script. Li Bai and Lu Xiang compared him with Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi in their poems respectively. People paralleled his cursive script with the stone from fallen star, crane drawn bu Xu Ji and phoenix drawn by Lang Yuling, and called them four master masterpieces in the Imperial Library.

However, few of his works survived through centuries. Classic of the Filial Piety, the only cursive script remained for present people, displayed a flowing and lucid style whose brushstrokes were intense and vehement. With thick and thin lines and clever arrangement of structures, he created an artististic world lingering between illusion and reality. The composition of his works was as smooth as stream, fully corresponding to his causal and unrestrained Romanticism.

His cusive script therefore introduced the romantic ethos to the prime and mid-Tang dynasty. In addition, he was also skilled in regular script.

.

Classic of the Filial Piety 孝经

初唐四大家的成就主要在楷书方面。草书则应推崇唐草三杰，即贺知章、张旭、怀素。他们是盛中唐时期最具有创新意识和时代精神的杰出书家。经过他们的不懈努力，使盛中唐以草书为代表的浪漫书风走向极致，并成就了草书史上的高峰。

贺知章（659 - 744），越州永兴（今浙江萧山）人，以草书著名。李白在诗中将他比喻成王羲之，陆象则将他比喻为王献之。当时的人还将他的草书与秘书省的落星石、薛稷画的鹤、朗馀令的凤合称为秘书省“四绝”。

然而，他的书法作品存世极少。现可见的草书作品只有《孝经》，其用笔酣畅淋漓，点画激越，粗细相间，虚实相伴；结体左俯右仰，随势而就；章法犹如潺潺流水，一贯直下，充分体现了他那风流倜傥、狂放不羁的浪漫情怀。

他的草书拉开了盛中唐草书浪漫风气的序幕。此外，他还擅长楷书。

Sun Yat-sen 孙中山

Sun Yat-sen (also known as Sun wen, Sun Zhongshan) is considered one of the greatest leaders of modern China. In Taiwan, he is regarded as the Father of the Nation, while in mainland China, a Forerunner of the Revolution.

He was not famous for his Chinese calligraphy, but known for his most creative end effective use of it to strengthen his ties to his supporters. Among the spiritual heritage he left behind, his calligraphic works can certainly be considered to be priceless treasure. The calligraphic works he left behind are mostly in the form of letters, instructions to his staff, and personal notes. There are also considerable amount of manuscripts written by him. However, the ones that have most calligraphic values are those words of encouragement and appreciation that he had written for his friends and famous people. He was serious about writing by hand.  Although his book “Sun Yat-sen’s Doctrine” has more than 10 thousand words, he wrote the manuscript conscientiously, word by word.

His favorite words and phrases for calligraphy were the characters for Fraternity and The Whole World is One Community. As a politician who devoted his whole life to revolutionary cause, his words of encouragement would inevitably contain political messages. His style can be strong and powerful, also can be gentle and gracious.

From his calligraphic works, it can be seen that he had spent much time in learning the styles of Yan Zhenqing, Su Dongpo and the Northern Wei. From the structure of words, one can trace the decentness and solidness of Yan style. The powerful Northern Wei style was somehow softened subtlely and quietly to follow the style of the running script.

He was good at writing the Regular and Running scripts, and had not written any Seal or Clerical script. When writing, he followed standard rules and executed every stroke fully.

When writing letters or instructions for the staff, he had the habit of using ‘western’ paper and ink. However, when he wrote words of encouragement for his revolutionary comrades, he would use the Chinese calligraphy brush, ink stone, ink stick and rice paper. 

.

孙逸仙（亦名孙文，孙中山）是中国当代最伟大的领袖。在台湾，他被尊为“国父”，而在中国大陆，他被定位为“革命先行者”。

孙先生并不以书法知名，但是他与有创意与有效地用书法来加强与支持者的联系而闻名。在他留下的宝贵精神遗产中，其文书档案中书法作品不能不说是一笔宝贵财富。孙中山生平手迹留下的最多的是书信、手令、手札，其次是著述手稿，但最具有书法创作味道的则是为友人及社会各界名流的题词。据说他写字十分认真，一本手写的《孙文学说》手稿，全书数万言，一字不苟。

孙中山平生最爱书“博爱”及“天下为公”。作为一个终生以革命为己任的政治家，他的题词当然往往蕴涵着他的政治主张。他的书法作品不仅仅有博大豪迈、气势恢宏的榜书作品，也有儒雅、轻松、格调清新、韵味绵长的行书作品。 

从他的书法作品中可以看出他对颜真卿、苏东坡及北碑方面的研究是颇具造诣的。从字法字构看，颜字的宽博与厚重仍依稀可见。而魏碑的雄强也在作品中被淡化，潜移默化中服从于行书作品的整体风格。

孙中山擅楷书、行书两体，篆书、隶书均未曾见署。其用字规范，笔笔交代清楚，一篇中同一字出现多次，也决不删繁从简，而一字数型以其博。书法风格一脉相承，无论是案头小牍或挥椽巨构，所书皆开阔雄浑，朗健清逸，笔势舒敛有致，字字独立却气脉浑整。

在从事长期国民革命中，孙中山有一特别的习惯，即在书写手令、信函时，往往喜用“西纸”，不用石砚磨墨，直接用毛笔沾外国墨水书写，取其便利而色调，不需磨墨功夫，以求节省时间从事革命活动。但他在题词赠送同志，鼓励仁人革命斗志时，使用的仍是毛笔、砚台、墨条和中国宣纸。在从事长期国民革命中，孙中山有一特别的习惯，即在书写手令、信函时，往往喜用“西纸”，不用石砚磨墨，直接用毛笔沾外国墨水书写，取其便利而色调，不需磨墨功夫，以求节省时间从事革命活动。但他在题词赠送同志，鼓励仁人革命斗志时，使用的仍是毛笔、砚台、墨条和中国宣纸。

Yu Youren’s Calligraphy in Nanyang 于右任的墨宝在南洋

Yu Youren, a famous Chinese calligraphy who was Head of Control Yuan in Taiwan for more than 30 years and he died in office. He had never been to Nanyang and yet his calligraphic works can be found at a number of places there.


Read more about Yu's calligraphy here:  http://icalligraphy.blogspot.com/2011/07/yu-youren-master-of-cursive-calligraphy.html

In the old Nanyang University campus, Yu’s calligraphic works can be found on the inscribed boards for Nanyang University, School of Arts Faculty, School of Science, and the Library of Business School. The authenticity of the calligraphy was confirmed by the famous Singaporean calligrapher Pan Shou and by a famous Taiwanese scholar Dong Zuobin who said that the calligraphic works were done in his presence. It was said that the calligraphic works were requested through a middle man Liu Houwqu, who worked for Yu as a councilor in the Control Yuan. Liu was also Yu’s in-law.

Liu was appointed the Principal of Chao Yang School in Singapore in 1949. During his stay in Singapore, a number of people had requested for Yu’s calligraphy through him. The calligraphy written for Nanyang University’s inscribed boards were requested through Liu as well.

The following inscribed boards also carry Yu’s calligraphy:

1. Ngee Ann College (Currently Ngee Ann Polytechnic)
2. Kwangtung Hui Kuan
3. Ann Kway Association Polytheistic
4. Ann Kway Building
5. The Penang Philomathic Union

His calligraphy can also be found at the following places in Singapore

1. Eng Choon Hway Kuan
2. Chui Huay Lim Club

Source: http://www.sgwritings.com/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=42625&extra=page%3D2

于右任是当代大书法家，在台湾任监察院院长三十多年，直到去世。他一生未到过南洋，可是却在南洋留下了他的墨宝。


有关于右任的书法：http://icalligraphy.blogspot.com/2011/07/yu-youren-master-of-cursive-calligraphy.html

在新加坡旧南洋大学校园里，有不少匾额就是于右任写的，这些匾额写的是南洋大学、文学院、理学院、商学院的图书馆。是不是他的真迹，有书法家潘受先生鉴定过，台湾著名学者董作宾先生亦作证他亲眼看着于右任写。据说于右任的墨宝是由一位中间人代为索求而来。这名中间人士刘侯武，台湾政府的监察委员，是于右任的下属，又是姻亲关系。

1949年，刘先生出任新加坡潮阳学校首任校长。就在他侨居新加坡时，很多人通过他求到于老的墨宝。南大的几幅于老书法，是他代为索取的。

此外，还有以下的匾额是于右任的墨宝：

1.  旧的义安学院
2. 广东会馆
3.  安溪会馆
4. 安溪大厦
5. 槟城阅书报社

在新加坡，以下地点也可以看到于右任的墨宝

1. 永春会馆
2. 醉花林俱乐部

资料来源：http://www.sgwritings.com/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=42625&extra=page%3D2

Nanyang University

Nanyang University

Kwangtung Hui Kuan

Ann Kway Association

Ann Kway Building

The Couplet at the  Eng Choon Hway Kuan

衍水书生：新加坡著名书法家评介（十九、二十）之林万菁与李士通

林万菁

林先生为著名大学教授，专攻汉语法的研究和华文教育的探讨与实践，有所成就。

早年与丘程光、曾广纬诸先生一道创建狮城书法篆刻会，有贡献。

其书法有很浓的帖味，这就与本地大多数书家们拉开了距离，品味高雅，淳厚，清新。

书法是文人的雅事。林先生的作品就很文雅，品赏时，迎面会飘来淡淡的清香，不像许多人写的是那么嚣张平庸、俗气、霸悍。今年潮人书画展，有作品展出。书法作品十分可人。

庄子上有云“水之积也不厚，则其负大舟也无力。”林先生中华文化的底蕴丰厚，这是书法高雅、淳厚的保证。

惜很少参加活动，我以为前一段的日子里，他丧失了进一步有大成的机会。

居里夫人讲，不要让事业，也不要让生活压倒你。休闲时玩一玩书法是文人最好的消遣之一。

我好盼望你重新投入你以前曾醉心的书法中来。

愿与林先生共勉之。不知您是否有看这个网页？

李士通

十多年前，新加坡有唯一一位姓许的老先生专写小楷，为自由体，专写长篇，如正气歌、琵琶行、长恨歌、千字文等等，写满四尺纸，毫无书法韵味，如同抄书。

有人认为写小楷可以随意写，不是这样的。写小楷也有规范，学习期间，也有帖临。综观之，有四个系列。（一）王羲之黄庭经、王献之洛神赋、柳公权离骚经、文征明归去来辞、赵孟頫汲黯传等，行笔自然，妩媚；（二）唐人写经钟绍京灵飞经、国诠善见律等，行笔流畅、平稳，章法无变化；（三）钟繇宣示表、荐季直表等，具有拙朴、线条厚重的特征；（四）王宠、黄道周、倪瓒等，跌荡，有奇趣。

李先生入手为（一），看来这些帖他都写过，并很熟练。常说小楷难写得空虚，李书达到了这种宽绰的境界。写小楷要求整篇笔法一致，这要求写千百字，一旦着手，就要专心地写下去，这些基本功早已过关。如能减少用笔轻轻划过：诸如撇、捺的线条，作品将会更耐看。

李先生是新加坡唯一擅写小楷的书家，他的作品深受读者的欢迎。

以下林万菁作品：

以下李士通作品：

衍水书生：新加坡著名书法家评介（十七、十八）之康雄安与陈爽庵

康雄安

康先生为画家。历年书画创作收入中国文联出版社出版中华艺术百家集之《康雄安作品精品集》（2010.10 北京）

其书法近年始出现新加坡书坛。他的成功在于默默的埋头于读帖、临帖（主要是颜真卿的大字麻姑仙坛记和颜体草书各帖，主要是裴将军诗）多年，创作中泯灭了颜体楷书的端点夸张，书写时线条直笔与曲笔兼施，笔法与结体特别突现质拙朴实的特点，章法初看起来似乎很零乱（详见作品照片），但又难以移易，可谓乱中求治。呈现粗头乱服的效果，而别开生面。

丑极即美极，从康先生的创作中可以玩味。

康先生乃善学书者也。我以为他的书法艺术必将会被新加坡书界所认可。

原稿完成于2011.9.5

陈爽庵

前些年在每年度的“狮城墨韵”展上，每每尚可见到陈先生的行书作品，在当时新加坡写行书还处于十数人一面效仿潘受先生的时候，他以写叶恭绰体的行书而独树一帜，真可谓万绿丛中一点红。

叶先生为民国政府要员，为民国时期代表书法家之一，见《书法大成》。新加坡早期著名大书法家、大收藏家陈景昭先生即书叶体行书。

何以陈先生能独写叶体？当时我想他一定藏有叶的真迹。朝夕相对，日夜揣摩，自然书写时便如囊中取物耳。后来，当我知道他是陈景昭先生之哲嗣时，我的疑云便一扫而空了。

陈爽庵先生之所以书法有成，是因为他出身名门，有卓越的教养，有优越的文化气息，耳濡目染其令尊的书写与亲传，又得见叶先生书法真迹。

评论家有人认为叶体过于茂密，故有情趣稍失之评。如今我们品赏陈先生的作品，这个影子对我们来说是不存在的。陈先生的作品是那么可人。

以下为康雄安作品：

以下为陈爽庵作品：

衍水书生：新加坡著名书法家评介（十六）之吴耀基

吴耀基

先生擅草书，其草书属一笔书（狂草），行笔流畅，随心书写。特别重视这一视觉艺术的视觉效果的把握与表述。可谓善用墨者，以墨代彩（五彩墨）将画法融入书写之中。作品的格调属于高格调。

王僧虔《笔意赞》曰：“书之妙道，神采为上，形质次之，兼之者方可绍于古人。”张怀瓘则说：“深识书者，唯见神采，不见字形。”可见神采多么重要。神采，简单地说神就是神韵，神就是感人、有生气，韵味谐永，用现代的话说就是是否注入情性；而彩即风采、风度，格调要出众。吴先生的草书，可以说是重神采者也。这在新加坡少有的草书家中，风格突出。

苏轼论书说：“书必有神、气、骨、肉、血，五者阙一，不成为书也。”是把书法作品喻人来论书的。人的神、气（形）是不可分的，而它又赖骨、肉、血所支承。孙过庭论及作品优劣诸因素时，特别强调的是骨气，他说“假令众妙攸归，务存骨气”。此“骨气”重点在“骨”，骨体现在结体，通常称为骨力。吴先生书中，如能在使转中过多的圆转，参入折笔，笔力会进一步增强，节奏也会有变化，创作也能进入一个新的境界。不知此说，是否恰当，望先生谅之。

衍水书生：新加坡著名书法家评介（十四、十五）之陈建坡与方秋碧

陈建坡

陈先生为著名画家、篆刻家、书法家。

因为为画家，其书法同众多画家一样，其书法为“付业”，对书法的专注上，不可能投入更多的时间与精力，多数“不守规矩”（实际上多具创造的品格），常常不深入临帖（当然也有例外，如齐白石），往往有随意性，书写仅为适意而已。但他的书法尚属翘楚，其行楷书用笔稳健、厚重、雄劲，有独特风格。眼下，为拙文配插图时，翻看作品集，知道他写大篆、金文与隶书，真的有个“脱毛”的过程，远比很多新加坡的书法家们来的认真与投入。

同中国习惯，故将篆刻纳入书法论之。其篆刻简言之，天真浪漫入古出新。自秦汉明清多种风格、流派印风，皆精熟入篆，厚重朴实。其创新，主要是更具活泼的特点，具有强烈的节奏感，且当代中国篆刻界的稚拙、灵动、情趣兼备。

为新加坡大师级篆刻家。中国西泠印社吸收其为会员，就是对他印学实践的最好的肯定。

方秋碧

秋碧为方先生的号。方先生的名为贤杰，为著名画家。画中国画（新加坡称彩墨画，这实际上是中国60年代初的说法），为南洋画派中主要画山水画的画家。

我与先生有一面之缘。据朋友讲，他已仙逝。听到此讯，我很惋惜，愿在此献上心香一瓣。

在我印象中，他是最肯学习的人，上世纪70年代，为学习书法，即参加中国书法函授大学的学习，届时其年龄恐怕已超过50岁，真不易。

有写张玄墓志，很有味道，写的很纯正，此为我在新加坡看到第一个写张玄者。十多年来，在新加坡我只见过先生与傅子昭先生有临帖创作。后来，我翻看中华美术会40周年纪念册上，见到他的行书作品，用笔不俗，结体自然，章法生动。所写的爨宝子也很有味。

他有画名，在书法上未及出人头地，是先天不足，还是后天书法锤炼不够，抑或以画为主，缺乏对书法的专一所致？

爱迪生讲一个人的成功，百分之九十九是血汗，百分之一是天才；中国人通常认为七分人为三分天，此“天”或为社会环境、客观条件，或理解为天分；当代有影响力的学者、书画评论家陈传席主张，一个人的成就是勤奋与天才各占一半，总之，不管如何，我等为普通人，郭沫若先生的诗句“勤能补拙是良训，一分辛苦一分才”，应奉为佳皋，对此我是坚信不移的。

以下为陈建坡作品：

以下为方秋碧作品：