揭阳蔡君公衡，钟榕江之灵秀，禀冰雪之聪明。幼好丹青，挥毫傅彩，写生象物，咄咄逼真。年弱冠，负笈广州，毕业南中美术学院及岭南艺苑，山水承高刺父、黎葛民两名师之薪傅;花鸟虫兽，则得赵少昂，赵崇正两先生之指授，厥艺益进。加以专心一志，淬厉研磨，不特深探六法、六要、八格、十门、十三科、十二忌之奥，复将中西画法，冶于一炉，自作一格，独成一家。近二十年间，于香港、星、马、菲律宾等地，迭开个人画展，获当代名人学者如钱穆、苏二庵、管震民、蔡寰青诸先生之好评。于是价重鸡林，誉驰中外。乃频年以来，倦游侨港，埋首作画。且为嘉惠艺林，撰成画谱。一则以供欣赏，一则以资楷模。昔宋郭若虚评南齐谢赫所云：一曰气韵生动，二曰骨法用笔，三曰应物象形，四曰随类傅彩，五曰经营位置，六曰传模移写之六法，为至精之论，万古不移。但骨法用笔以下五法可学，而其气韵生动，固不可以巧密得，复不可以岁月到，默契神会，不知然而然之语，尤为古今画冢，奉为科律。夫画与文，道虽殊而理则一。清儒章学诚曰：学文之事，可授者规矩方圆，其不可授受者，心营意造。足与郭氏之言，互相发明。盖画之气韵，亦出于心营意造之中也。
兹者，蔡君画谱，系花鸟虫鱼梅兰竹菊，内容别类分门，丰富细密，示人以规矩方圆。余以国画，可表达我国民族性之特长，为世界人士所珍视。诚我国之琅宝，重要之国粹。而蔡君画谱，亦足为后学之津梁。行将付刊面世，爰不揣謭陋而为之序。
一九七〇年五月一日蒋醉六序于九龙之钻石山房
Foryearsthepublichasbeenwaitingforatrulyfinehandbookofdrawingandpaintingdesignedmainlyforbeginners-studentsorleisure-timepainters-interestedinChinesePainting.SuchabookisMr.ChoyKung-heng’s.
LESSONSINCHINESEPAINTING
Specificsubjectsdetailedincludeflowers,birds,insects,fishorpoultryandtheseareillustratedbyfineprintscarefullyselectedfromhisnotinconsiderablenumberofnotablepaintings.Eightmonthsofenthusiasticdesigningwiththestudentinmindhaveproducedthispracticalbookwithitsinterestingvarietyofcolourandsubject.
ABOUTTHEARTIST-AUTHOR
Atanearlyage,Mr.ChoyKung-heng,famedSouth-eastAsianartist,nowinhisforties,studiedattheLingNamSchoolofPaintingandwithKaoChien-fuandlaterwithPhao-an.DevelopinghisowntechniquehealsoexploredtheartoftheSung(960-1276)andYuanmastersanddidnumeroussketchesofflowersandbirdsforresearchstudies.
In1947becauseofpoliticalchanges,heleftSouthChinaforHongKongwhereheassiduouslystudiedvariouspaintingtechniquesuntil1959,designingandexecutinghundredsofpaintingsmainlyofflowers,birdsandlandscapes,includingtraditionalfiguresofmenandwomen.
BecomingdissatisfiedwithfollowingtheSungandYuanmastersexclusively,hewentoutintotheparks,thehillsandmanyplaces,carefullystudiedvariousbirdsandflowersandhetriedanddevelopedamorerealisticnewstyle.Atthisstage,hedesignedsomeofhisbestpicturesincoloursorinink,executedeitherwithincredibledelicacyor,bycontrast,rapidlywithbolderbrushstrokes.Twoexamplesofhismasterlytechniqueare“HundredButterflies”and“SeasonalFlowers”.
Since1960,hehasheldnumerouspersonalexhibitionsofhisChinesePaintingsinHongKong,Macau,Philippines,Thailand,MalaysiaandSingapore.Subjectsofthesevariedgreatly—fromatigertotheVirginMary.Exhibitionrewardswerebothlucrativeandinspirational.
IhavehadtheprivilegetoenjoyMrChoy’spaintingsandnowconfidentlyrecommendhisnewbooktoallinterestedinthisfineart.