Paper talk

Graphic artists love to tinker with paper. Why not? The texture itself makes a difference already. I have been writing with my fountain pens using cheap office printer papers. The fine point with Pilot ink works OK but not quite for the medium point with Pelican ink. The feathering really bothers me. Found a few article and discussion about good (and/or cheap) paper to use. Please share with us your experiences here in the comment section.

San Francisco International Pen Show 2015

上月在香港書展買了一支墨水筆，同行的朋友建議我回美找找當今筆壇大熱的flex nib古董筆，我以為在所有東西都網購的年代，筆店可能很難找，不過經Google發現，在Castro Valley有一家Penopoly，其網站有一個SF筆展的舊連結，然後就找到今年San Francisco International Pen show的網站，筆展為期三天，單日票價十元，會場在Oracle對面的Hotel Sofitel，我在剛過去的星期六去了。

十時正開show，我匆匆泊好車（酒店停車場正價全日$25，筆展validation減至$5），十時半是筆壇活躍人士Susan Wirth（上過Orpah節目）的講座，主題是：「為何墨水筆令人寫字更漂亮？」首先她介紹自己使用的三種筆：最常用的是fine italic，其次是可寫更細字的needlepoint，最後是留守家中的flex nib，在特別情形需要突出自己才使用，例如她簽的支票，相熟銀行職員一看即知是她，絕無假冒。她聲明自己不是Calligrapher，留意西方Calligraphy和中文書法詞義上的不同（雖然中文書法英譯名為Chinese Calligraphy）Calligraphy是書寫特定字體的方法，一般不包括發揮個人藝術性及創造力的空間。Wirth指自己寫的是自己的字體，所以不算是Calligrapher。

接著談的是如何在筆展試筆：她建議寫或畫平日常用的，例如科學家可寫方程式，醫師可寫藥方，漫畫家當然可以作畫，她帶了不少別人試筆的樣辦給大家作為參考之用。另外她提到筆展出售的筆，往往沒有預先入墨，部份讓準買家試寫，試時也不會真正入墨，只是用筆尖在墨水瓶沾一點足夠試寫而已，這樣不能試到筆的出墨機制暢順與否（太多或太少？）另有一些不設試用，總之買了筆大可找張枱安坐，即時入墨盡情詳細地試個痛快，如發現問題回去找展商即可。接著是談墨水，她指出產筆及墨水的公司最怕前者聲譽被後者拖累，言下之意即是好像Parker, Pelican這些牌子的墨水多半不會出問題吧！她不太推薦"boutique brands"尤其是那些有機墨水，說她曾把某隻墨水從出墨有問題的筆中擠入清水，竟然立即沉底，和水完全沒有混和，這是其他大牌子從來沒有發生過的。我不知這是好是壞，總之就是不同正路啦。最後她讓大家各自寫一點東西，她看完之後建議各人可試甚麼其他筆，她對我的建議是試試fine italic。講座完畢後我向她請教一下，她的樣辦中有位寫日文漢字的用了甚麼筆，她說那位正在會場，她帶我去親自問問，此外我又問當今筆廠有那一家生產flex nib，她說聽聞最接近古董flex nib感覺的應是Pilot Namiki Falcon，其筆尖使用較軟的金屬製造。回說寫漢字那位Mike Masuyama先生原來即場為客人打磨筆尖，他在百忙中抽空回答:用的可能是Cursive italic。我在Susan Wirth的檔口試了多枝古董筆，她全部都已裝好了墨水，flex nib我是第一次試，不太會發揮其優點；italic的筆尖是好像被「截去一段」般，才能輕易寫到橫畫粗直畫幼的效果，而broad nib用來寫大隻中文字亦令人驚喜。之後在另一家試了一支平價（$18)Pilot 78G with italic broad nib，可說齊集前兩者特色，物超所值！

下一個節目則是狂試大會提供的500種不同牌子及型號的墨水，問過負責人才知那是SF筆會成員購入500支透明墨水筆及貢獻出他們的墨水（及裝墨水的寶貴時間！）那支透明筆其實寫起來頗順暢，負責人告知我們那一檔有售，原來才$5三支！最後幫襯了一檔來自新加坡的，他有多款Pelican牌筆及墨水出售，朋友買了兩瓶送我，其中一瓶更是特別的Edelstein系列的碧綠色(Jade)

British Works on Paper 1760–1900 and more

British Works on Paper 1760–1900 is an exhibition at the Legion of Honor, one of the several fine art museums in San Francisco. The architecture is a great piece of art in its own right, enhanced by the serene surroundings of the Lands End (which is a favorite spot for landscape drawings by SF artists) The most notable artists of this exhibition IMHO were J.M.W. Turner, John Constable and Edward Lear. In order to preserve the light-sensitive material, the works were shown with dimmed light. On the other hand, there's a big computer screen showcasing five pieces interactively (and brightly) and it's available online here. It might sound strange but I found it actually much more pleasing looking at the pieces on the screen than the real thing! The exception was "The End of the World" by John Martin, which has a very dark tone already and the blood red color really stands out even with the dimmed light.

"A Princely Pursuit: The Malcolm D. Gutter Collection of Early Meissen Porcelain" was another exhibition I was interested in as a big fan of porcelain. I always considered most China made outside of China being inferior to those from China. After all, the Chinese had the most advanced technology for a long time. Nevertheless, some German teapots were actually quite interesting in terms of the shapes (for example, using a human face as the body or the head of a bird as the spout) When it comes to the paintings on the body though, I feel that they were better with nature (especially flowers) as the subject than with people or animals. I think they tried too hard to imitate the Chinese painters' style of people （仕女） but unsuccessfully applied to Western people.

Finally, there were an interactive exhibition of graphic art, which demonstrated several print making techniques, including linocut (linoleum sheet were carved as a surface where paint was applied like a rubber stamp), using metal plate instead of linoleum and engrave on them, and lithography (images were drawn with wax on a flat limestone surface) And there was an example of Japanese woodcut. The Japanese got the woodcut printing technology from China and elevated it to an art form, which influenced many Western artists, including some of the French impressionists. Also, I learned from the docent that woodcut had a strong tie to the Japanese manga culture and old legends were a popular topic (see Ukiyo-e) What an educational visit to the museum!

Carleton Watkins, 吳冠中, Rodin's hands @ Cantor Arts Center, Stanford

數月沒去Stanford的Cantor Arts Center，多了不少吸引的新展品展覽，最意外驚喜是攝影家Carleton Watkins：
和油畫相比，我對攝影作品的熱情相差很遠，除Ansel Adams之外，差不多無一認識；曾經在SFMOMA欣賞過Adams的原作，尤其喜歡他在Yosemite的作品；原來倒不是前無古人！這位Carleton Watkins是最早期的Yosemite攝影家，1860年代他帶著重達2000磅的自製攝影器材（包括大塊感光玻璃板，流動黑房及沖灑用品），由騾隊運載入谷兩度，認真艱巨。其成績與付出成正比，他的作品出色地展現大自然雄奇之美。除了Yosemite，影展還有兩個主題：一是三藩市的自然景觀及建築，包括Farallon Islands, Alcatraz, Cliff House等等，二是Columbia River Gorge，他成功地捕捉了Multnomah Falls, Castle Rock等地的神態，"Cape Horn, Near Celilo"的構圖更是特別巧妙。

"Cape Horn, near Celilo" (public domain, linked from Wikimedia commons)

另一個吸引我的是中國藝術部的山水展，既有古代傳統手法的水墨畫，也有新派如吳冠中引入西畫技巧的作品，以及最新一代的攝影及數碼圖像；世界日報有介紹此展覽。

吳冠中 Village Landscape

最後想提的展覽是從醫學角度探究Rodin雕像中出現的各種病態之手。看過Rodin雕塑作品的朋友相信都會對其人物的獨特姿勢包括手部動作留下深刻印象，其實有部份是因為手部有病而扭曲。該展覽解釋幾種病的成因及治療方法，甚為有趣。

Silicon Valley Open Studios 2014

Silicon Valley Open Studio took place on the first 3 weekends of May, when artists showcased their works in art studios or open spaces and talked to visiting art lovers and fellow artists. The locations for this first weekend were mostly in North or Mid-Peninsula. I visited 5 of them, including the Art Center at the historical Twin Pines Manor House in Belmont (built by an early principal in the Bank of America, George Center, as his residence and subsequently sold to a group of doctors for a psychiatric hospital. It was eventually purchased by the city), the Cubberley Community Center in Palo Alto (currently undergoing change of management which doesn't seem to be giving priority to long-time artists working there anymore so some of them are leaving while some are trying to re-apply to stay there), the Gallery House (at the back of a cafe. I think this arrangement benefits both parties by drawing in visitors) and some homes of artists with huge backyard (located in one of the most expensive real market in US. Who says artists are poor?)

Ruth-Anne Siegel
Summer Day

Charlene Landreau

I found that oil or acrylic paintings still dominated the works displayed this weekend. And landscape is the most popular genre in this medium. Whether realistic or not was not important.

A few more notable landscape painters includes Fawad Malik, who has a whole series of paintings in the Impressionism style (also includes some still-life), Ann McMillan, Marguerite Fletcher, who has held travel workshop at locations like Oaxaca (Mexico) and Hawaii.

I was surprised that photography was not featured as prominently as the scene I witnessed in SF (galleries and open studios) Still, there were no lack of good works. For example, Celia V. Beatts sold photo developed on metal (using a unique method called MetalPrints by Bay Photo Lab) with scenes ranging from a restaurant in Sonoma to a farm in the Midwest) Joan Sparks specialized in wildlife photography, including hummingbirds, herons, eagles, bears, butterflies and so on. When asked for tips, she emphasized the importance of patience. She once waited for 3 hours to take a picture of a pair of waxwings but the result was stunning. It would also require the use of long lens and fast shutter speed. Photographer Dan McLean's works were more on the abstract than the realistic side. I was drawn by the lines and shapes on his picture of stairs at the Alcatraz focused more so than the actual structure. On the contrary, one could learn a lot about styles of architecture from different parts of the world by studying Frances Freyberg Blackburn's collection of photo from around the world. She also had a collection on flowers.

Less mainstream media/methods like collages also had their places. I talked to Robin Schreiber about her collages, which were based on photo but ended up looking a lot different than the source. Her other methods include wood cut and line drawing. Madeline Ettin showed her monotype pieces made by pressing the paper against a surface with ink or paint that forms the image.

More locations will be hosting open studios in South Peninsula and South Bay in the next 2 weekends. Can't wait for another tour!

Lingnan School of Art

Chao Shao-An
Gladioli

If you are a frequent visitor to Asian Art Museums in San Francisco or Hong Kong, you are probably quite familiar with works from Chao Shao-An (趙少昂), Henry Wo Yue-Kee (胡宇基) and their peers. Master Chao lived in Hong Kong for a long period of time and has traveled to USA to give lectures at universities. Thus he had a big influence on many Chinese painters in Hong Kong and USA from the younger generations, including Master Wo, who is active and known for his lotus-themed paintings, among his other favorite subjects. And it is easy to understand what makes their style of painting appealing to the Western audiences, for example, the use of bright colors. One could see the same influence from European impressionist paintings. Another characteristics of this style, called the Lingnan school, is the use of many varying brush strokes.

Wo Yue Kee
  Lotus pond at night

The word Lingnan literally means south of the Nan mountains, which separates Central and South China. And indeed, originally most painters of this style were from that area but of course that is no longer the case. It is interesting that the originators of this style (高劍父、高奇峰、陳樹人 also known as "Two Gao, One Chen") was not keen on using this name. They actually preferred a more descriptive term that made it clear they were trying to revolutionize the tradition that had become stagnant since the Ching dynasty by combining old and new ways of painting from Japan and the West. In addition to the aforementioned Chao Shao-An, other Lingnan masters of his generation includes Guan Shanyue (關山月) , Li Xiong-Cai (黎雄才) and Yang Shanshen (楊善深)

Paintings (1, 2) in the style of Lingnan School are available for purchase at the RootDragon marketplace.

Chinese Calligraphy: Movement and Balance

For some calligraphers, balanced writing is not necessarily good. Balance without movement could mean boring. Bryan So explained what he considered as an important principle in this video:

His works are available for purchase at the RootDragon marketplace