<p>剛剛過去的寒假期間，小兒子問了我?guī)讉€他小時候畫畫的事兒，說要是有空，想寫篇小短文。前幾天看到發(fā)在了他們學校一個藝文社團網(wǎng)絡雜志上（見下），特別欣喜.. 沒想到這是一篇慢節(jié)奏的散文，娓娓道來，那些家常得不能再家常的場景，那些年年歲歲“畫”相似的各種節(jié)慶日，那些飯桌上車程里講過的多多少少“廢話”；看上去孩子或許沒聽見，沒反應，其實家庭的，文化的，傳統(tǒng)的，族裔的——背景，多樣性，認同感，帶給孩子的也許平時看不太出來，但是確實滋養(yǎng)著孩子的成長。孩子不一定成為我們想要他長成的樣子，但是他們思考著，行動著，慢慢成為他們自己想要的樣子……看著這個比我高大許多的年輕人，那個7??歲時戴著眼鏡的小男孩躍然紙上，字里行間又明明走馬燈似的看見了這些年孩子的點點滴滴...何不趁這個機會把孩子這些年作的生肖畫收集起來..</p> <p>https://www.waveartsmagazine.com/family-blog/the-family-zodiac</p><p>好像不容易打開鏈接，文末有完整版的文章附錄....</p> <p>??年將至，就從??年說起吧……這是孩子們小時候開始學習彩色鉛筆畫時期的作品。在這之前他們有很好的啟蒙老師畫過一段時間自言自語講故事的兒童畫。哥哥弟弟一起上課，所以都大有收獲。嘻嘻，我和娃爹看了以后捂嘴笑了，一個胖一點點一個瘦一點點，真正的畫如其人...用心的爸爸，把小哥倆的作品編輯在一起成了那一年我們家獨一無二的賀年卡，好希望孩子們繼續(xù)這個傳統(tǒng)，可惜小兒子只答應每年負責全家的圣誕卡設計.. 最后一幅淡淡的水彩作品，是有一年暑假回國去朋友的鄉(xiāng)間老家所見。</p> <p>這大概是小兒子最早畫的老虎，真的很像貓，當然我們大聲告訴他，這只小老虎很有氣勢哦，像屬虎的哥哥?? 慢慢地他畫了不少老虎。尤其這兩幅國畫老虎作品得來不易！那個滑雪季，大兒子早就從滑雪升級到單腿雪板馳騁山坡，小兒子也躍躍欲試。那個長周末跟好朋友們一起租了山里的滑雪大屋，盡情享受同吃同住同勞動的集體生活還有山里清新的空氣。最后一天早上開滑后發(fā)現(xiàn)雪況非常不好因為晚上降溫冰碴子滿地，快到坡底的時候，小兒子摔了一跤，手撐了一下，劇痛！放心地把大兒子留在那里跟著大部隊繼續(xù)，我們馬上帶著孩子下山找醫(yī)院檢查，骨裂，打了石膏灰溜溜回家，開始了漫長的六個星期自我愈合的過程。當媽的心疼不已，小朋友還安慰我說，沒關系，媽媽，還好是右手，我反正是左撇子，還可以接著玩游戲，畫畫。那段時間上不了體育課，不能再去外面玩，閑著無聊，常常喊爸爸筆墨伺候著。沒比桌子高多少的小人兒，正在中文學校學習國畫的他，站在餐桌前氣定神閑地畫了這兩幅“猛虎下山”圖。我們如獲至寶，巴巴地帶回國，裝裱起來，孩子的干爹還特地請高手給小畫家置了專用印章。干爹想要收藏一幅，都不舍得給。后來小朋友自己說，畫的并不好，還不懂得留白，留白處是用西洋畫法處理的。再后來，自己用平板電腦畫了各種各樣的老虎...很多是為爸爸或者哥哥生日創(chuàng)作的，越來越有神采！哥哥那年高中畢業(yè)開party，弟弟巧妙地設計了獨特的虎頭幕板，我們也用作慶祝蛋糕的圖案，來賓都在幕板前面留影，成為我家獨特的風景一道！這次的創(chuàng)作中爸爸和哥哥同樣的生肖真的畫出來了不同的個性。當時記得孩子問過我，跟老虎有關的成語，我說了好幾個。最后呈現(xiàn)出來的“虎父無犬子”，很可愛呀??</p> <p>前院后院一直有很多小兔子。孩子們小的時候，“小兔兒乖乖”是四首晚安歌曲之一，說好的每天晚上選一個，媽媽唱完了就一起禱告關燈晚安，卻常常被小哥倆一邊一個央求著變成四首聯(lián)唱，直到媽媽先把自己唱睡著了……有一次門前看到一只兔子受傷了，趴在那兒一動不動。小兒子很擔心，很想把他抱進屋里養(yǎng)傷。只能慢慢說服他，萬一它的家人找不到它怎么辦？我們放了一點水和吃的，看到它吃了喝了，后來走了....所以小兒子筆下的小兔子都那么可愛....</p> <p>這就是小文中7??歲那年跟朋友聚餐等上菜的時候，百無聊賴的小朋友，只好看著這張紙自得其樂，回家后就畫出來了自己的版本。那個時期，小畫家太高產(chǎn)了—一各種Pokémon，自己設計的，朋友“點名要的”，甚至情愿拿真的卡換取他獨創(chuàng)的，林林總總。走到哪兒畫到哪兒，各種紙張材質都可以抓來畫?？v使娃爹緊跟在后面收，背面用鉛筆寫上日期地點，幾大收納盒子也放得滿滿的，這次怎么找也沒找到原件，還好留著復印件。（孩子寫文章的時候我也不知道具體寫什么，就沒去找，看了以后才決定找出來給小畫家看看，他很開心地說，就是我腦子里記得的畫面?。└鞣N龍，龍圖騰都愛畫，當年讀的那一套系列書的封面都是龍，就自己全部都創(chuàng)作了一遍，我看看，當然比原作書封面更傳神啦！初中畢業(yè)那年，學校美術老師找來他和其他一些同學，讓他們一起在圖書館的墻上創(chuàng)作一幅大型壁畫。作為留給母校的禮物。小兒子領銜主創(chuàng)，最后討論決定主題就選用當年同學們喜愛的各種文學作品中的人物，這幅龍從畫面的上方噴火而出，宛如“龍卷風”的氣勢！這次生肖創(chuàng)作的龍有兩個版本，問了我們喜歡哪一幅，我都喜歡，娃爹好像說了具體的1??2??3??，他后來決定推出這一款。這個繁體的“龍”字是點睛之筆，無需龍身全貌，神采飛揚躍躍欲飛！他還給自己設計了幾款??圖案的口罩，酷呆了！</p> <p>沒有孩子的時候就在中文學校服務了，兩次懷孕期間都堅持上課直到生孩子，產(chǎn)假過后又繼續(xù)服務社區(qū)，所以孩子們四歲半開始也跟著去了，直到上完九年級從中文學校畢業(yè)??. 他們漸漸大了，爸爸媽媽也開始上課之余無需擔心他們轉換教室，自己可以去上跳舞班的課了。時隔好幾年，小兒子又創(chuàng)作了一幅新年賀卡，媽媽的本命年，畫作的右邊投射出媽媽學舞蹈手忙腳亂的樣子，讓媽媽哭笑不得...屬蛇的還有媽媽的爸爸，所以左邊那個依稀boss的姿勢，孩子說，媽媽的爸爸和媽媽在家里就是這個樣子的，是一伙的，哈哈哈！小畫家筆下的??其實很像他負責喂養(yǎng)的那些</p><p>reptiles, 家里養(yǎng)過各種蜥蜴，變色龍，籠子越換越豪，每周采買活的蟋蟀，那些才是孩子筆下最常御用的模特...這次創(chuàng)作不僅選了老媽最喜歡的淺紫色，還畫上了爸爸幾年前媽媽大生日時送給媽媽，一直戴在腕上的鐲子，這些小細節(jié)真的好暖心....</p> <p>馬真的很不容易畫。很感激中文學校各位美術老師的耐心講解啟發(fā)。第一節(jié)課學習中文，第二節(jié)課哥哥打乒乓球，弟弟選擇畫畫。從四歲半蠟筆畫班開始一級級升上來，到了國畫班，小朋友超喜歡，決定“蹲班”，一蹲就是五六年，師從好幾位著名畫家。記得當時學生不多，他是唯一的男孩子，很多家長也坐在后排一起上課。他自己課前課后收拾各種顏料用具，不慌不忙自得其樂！老師真的太會教了，這樣的小品，一節(jié)課至少一幅，每次下課拿回一卷。一開始畫不好，有些小氣餒，但是從不說放棄。當時的小夢想是慢慢能進步，能夠下課的時候，像那些畫得好的大同學那樣，得到老師當場作畫示范的真跡一幅！后來真的美夢成真，拿了好幾幅回家，如獲至寶，仔細揣摩！那位大師級的名師一直對孩子呵護有加，每年本地美術館???國畫展示workshop，老師會請孩子和幾位同學去現(xiàn)場示范。再后來小畫家的幾次個人畫展，老師都撥冗前來助陣。小兒在中文學校學的不僅是國畫，老師嫻靜優(yōu)雅端莊大方的氣質，吐氣如蘭，柔和唯美又力度氣度非凡的筆觸，布局，章法都對孩子???很深刻的影響。真是孩子的幸運 ??</p> <p>那一段時間平板電腦成了小畫家的新玩具。前后換了三部，還配備了特別的畫筆，有不少精彩的作品前面也看到了。羊的作品不多，這一幅靈動可愛，也許好幾年暑假回國看了不少“喜羊羊”得來的靈感，讓屬羊的爸爸的爸爸，媽媽的媽媽，看了都忍俊不止...</p> <p>這幅看著稚拙的小猴子，是第一年在中文學校蠟筆畫課堂上的習作。那時候每個周末的報紙都是一大厚摞。有幾個專欄是我很喜歡跟讀的。周末翻看兒童畫漫畫版面特別減壓。無意中看到征稿，就把哥哥和弟弟中文學校畫畫課的習作隨手寄出去了。心里想著哥哥那幅明顯故事性強，線條流暢，沒想到....只錄用了弟弟的畫作！有點意外！想當初，最早的啟蒙老師非常有經(jīng)驗，早早就悄悄告訴我們老二很有天賦，雖然畫作的成熟度比哥哥弱，在家里的墻上一定要分開展示，不要比較，怕無意間挫傷孩子的積極性。我們根本沒概念.....真實的情況是當時送的是六歲多的哥哥去上課，因為帶著弟弟去買菜等哥哥下課的時候弟弟吵得媽媽完不成買菜的任務，特意懇請老師破格再多收個學生，收下還不到四歲的弟弟，就當幫媽媽的忙。卻無意中打開了一個新世界，小朋友入了迷似地整天趴在地上畫啊畫，還指揮我們幫他畫，我們實在不出金魚缸里的魚兒的模樣，遠近比例，小朋友還有點生氣，氣急了說, I wish drawing teacher is my mom.....這幅4歲3/4 的小作登在報上，讓我們第一次明白，也許真的是有天分這么回事...從此校內校外，遠近大小各種賽事，小朋友得獎頻頻，小哥哥有點受挫，加上后來忙打球，就不學畫了，其實老師們都說哥哥也很棒，有點可惜的。后來高中階段哥哥撿起來了畫筆又選修了黑白攝影課，也斬獲了幾個獎。藝術的熏陶永遠不浪費的。哥哥，還有我們全家每個人有任何需要私人定制的卡都找弟弟幫忙。學校里分發(fā)“情人節(jié)”小卡，弟弟都會設計男生女生不同的版本。我們每個人的生日，他的好朋友的生日，都有小兒子精心制作每年不同的驚喜。我們給他的驚喜是拿他的畫作印在他的生日蛋糕上，給老師親友的各種節(jié)日小禮物都是他的藝術作品印制的獨特出品！他給小朋友們的“Thank You” note, 每年給老師們的節(jié)日卡片，每個人都不一樣的?? 每年母親節(jié)父親節(jié)收到的是哥倆精心合作的成果，一個寫文字一個配畫。這些都是我們的珍藏..</p> <p>這孩子太喜歡畫畫了！雖然也跟同齡人一樣打棒球，游泳，溜冰，空手道，踢足球（不喜歡，每次就躲在我身后不肯上場），打乒乓球，彈鋼琴....但是最最喜歡的還是畫畫。所以后來別的活動都不玩了，一周師從各種風格的畫畫老師，樂此不疲！平時節(jié)假日就去美術館轉悠，夏天也常參加美術館的雕塑等各種暑期課程。特別喜歡各種動物，畫的不一定像，但是絕對栩栩如生，活潑可愛的。</p> <p>孩子們喜歡狗，但是兩個孩子各種過敏，加上我被狗追過摔倒受過傷，怕的，所以很抱歉不敢養(yǎng)狗。走在路上，他們常常會駐足看看別人家可愛的狗狗... 其實鉛筆素描課的啟蒙并不順利，孩子不怎么ready，那個時期讓他自己滿意的作品很少，除了這一組畫他自己收藏的各式毛絨玩具的小品。下面這幅是私人訂制的，是別人家的愛犬，拿來照片，小兒子的創(chuàng)作。完成后，訂制的差點想自己留著了，當作禮物呈給狗狗的主人，聽說讓人愛不釋手。這個時期的小畫家，很有個性。我們都會提前跟老師溝通，盡量尊重他的意愿，呵護他的愛好比技能的全面更重要！他不喜歡素描，不喜歡臨摹，不喜歡對著石膏畫，堅決不肯畫人物肖像，只喜歡畫鯊魚，各種魚，各種海洋生物，各種兩棲動物，到小動物，喜歡戶外畫風景寫生....遇到一個超級懂他，他也超級崇拜的好老師，一跟就是十年多，慢慢開始畫人了，從背影開始、到手，臉....怎么能想象???到，后來個人畫展上好多幅精彩的自畫像，私人定制的也大多是人物畫（作為生日禮物，退休禮物等）。高中畢業(yè)后受邀被commission在母校的大展廳里（學校特意清理出一整面墻）留下了十二幅巨大的壁畫，其中一半是人物畫....感恩孩子的天賦得以被呵護著長大，感恩這孩子勤學樂練，感恩這幾位對孩子有著極其重要影響的大師畫家/教育家們...</p> <p>好像沒有畫過??…除了當時收集webkinz 的豬豬...也沒畫過??，哎，這2020難熬的鼠年，總算翻篇了，不畫也罷……</p> <p>十二生肖，是文化傳承的一部分。很高興孩子從小到大在家，在社區(qū)，在中文學校耳濡目染，對傳統(tǒng)有了解，更有認同。族裔認同感，帶給成長中的孩子很多自信，自我接納的歸屬感，真的很重要。難得的是孩子抽時間把這些感受reflect 娓娓道來，給我們帶來了很多美好的回憶，我們相信更重要的是，給他自己更多的激勵，成長為他想要的樣子！加油吧，小伙子！</p> <p>上面的原文鏈接似乎很難打開，附錄在此，保持文字的完整。</p> <p>The Family Zodiac</p><p>I have always found it difficult to describe my family—the people closest to me. It is all the more difficult to capture or portray them visually. Family members have influenced everything I do: we are so similar, we share so much, and we are constantly growing individually and together. How could one drawing or painting express what my family is like? This struggle to characterize family members in my artwork has pushed me away from representing them directly, and as a young child, I turned to the Chinese zodiac animals as a solution. </p><p>I can recall the exact moment I grew fascinated with the Chinese zodiac. Visiting a restaurant as a seven-year-old, I still remember the glow of the neon-lit fish tank, the feeling of crisp disposable chopsticks, the smoothness of the white teacups, and of course the sloppy English translations on the menu. But as someone stimulated by visual cues and items, my eyes fixed on the waxy paper placemats laying underneath the plates and bowls. Catching my attention, these particular placemats depicted the zodiac, complete with a wheel of animals and accompanying deions. In Chinese culture, the zodiac cycles through twelve years of the lunar calendar, with an animal symbolizing each year. Often, those following Chinese culture feel some sort of guidance based on the zodiac, heeding the various superstitions and personality traits associated with each animal.</p><p>Running my hand along the placemat to find the year 2000, my fingers traced upward to the dragon—my zodiac sign. The drawing of the dragon on the paper enchanted me immediately. After all, I loved all animals and creatures, but dragons were among those with the most powerful and fantastical characteristics. And I, a seven-year-old boy, was born in the year of this mythical beast. I then searched for the zodiac animals representing the rest of my immediate family: tiger and snake. Turning to my mom and asking her questions, I moved my finger over to the horse, the rooster, the dog, and the monkey—animals for those in my extended family. After our meal, I remember excitedly requesting a clean placemat from the waiter, which I promptly rolled up, brought home, and replicated meticulously on to printer paper over the next week. I would spend the next weeks admiring my new recreation of the zodiac and continuing to practice drawing dragons, tigers, and snakes. </p><p>From this moment onward, I cannot even count the number of times where I have depicted family members through their zodiac signs. I had always drawn animals in my free time, finding joy in exploring the forms behind every wonder of the animal kingdom. Since I lacked the technical ability to depict faces accurately, zodiac animals created the perfect outlet for me to comfortably “illustrate” people. To those in my family, zodiac animals soon took on great significance in birthday cards and other drawings. I became a mischievous dragon. My dad, born in the year of the tiger, always made an appearance as a ferocious tiger, and my older brother, born under the same sign, was more playful. A graceful snake represented my mom. Within my family, I defined everyone visually through their zodiac sign, attempting to convey an identity through a symbolic animal.</p><p>For many years, I continued to prefer this method when portraying my family, varying the complexity and style of the animals each year. Some years I would draw a snarling tiger in ink, but other years I would use Chinese painting to illustrate a pensive tiger atop a mountain. But in the past few years, I have reevaluated the reason why I always viewed my family through zodiac signs. Of course, as a seven-year-old, I had no better way to capture them satisfactorily, but now, as an adult, was it time to change? To me, family portraits of zodiac animals seemed to neglect certain aspects of my family’s characterization. People are always changing, getting older, learning more, and I am always getting to know them better. A painting of an animal can only express so much of that change; I can’t quite show that an animal has just graduated high school, or that its homemade food is the best I have ever tasted. With age I began to wrestle with these thoughts while also improving my artistic ability. Practicing my ability to use portraiture to capture other people’s likeness and my understanding of who they are, I could finally achieve what I avoided as a child. Instead of substituting family members for animals, I could simply paint them as people. </p><p>（未完待續(xù)）</p> <p>Yet at the same time, I still feel great attachment to these zodiac signs. Perhaps it’s because I put so much effort into these drawings of my family for so many years, but they have played an irreplaceable role in my life as an artist and a family member. In my mind, my dad, brother, and mom’s zodiac animals define them. Although I could simply draw their faces this time, my artwork would feel incomplete if I abandoned the animals that I fondly grew to see my family through.</p><p>With these reflections, I have created this series of artworks. It ultimately emerges from the reconciliation of these two compelling forces in my exploration as an artist and family member. I am still drawn to the connection between my family and the zodiac signs, acknowledging the very reason seven-year-old Erik found it possible to artistically depict his family. But now that I’ve grown older, I am searching for and improving upon ways to illustrate these people that are closest to me. From the beginning of this journey to now, this fact will never change: I have always viewed my family as most precious in my life. The question always depended on how I could express this sentiment. And while I still believe it’s impossible to perfectly describe or capture the people whose values I live by, whose praise and conversely criticism determines my state of mind, whose love and support for me feels so boundless, I believe that I have painted my family to the best of my ability, in all of its beauty, love, familiarity, and likeness.</p><p>I hope these artworks provide even just a small view into who they are. This is my Family Zoudiac.</p>