Painting the Dao

79 ak12.47 Arming the Forces of Nature, No.1 Ink on Fabriano Artistico paper 70.0 × 53.5 cm, Hong Kong, May 2012 Seven artist seals 水松石山房 Shuisongshi shanfang (Water, Pine and Stone Retreat) 攜杖老人 Xiezhang laoren (Old man who carries the staff ) 偶然得之 Ouran dezhi (Achieved by accident) 石石 Shishi (Stones) 莫 Mo [name] 士撝 Shihui [name] Sage in the lotus [pictorial] Published The Master of the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat, Beyond the Stage of Time , ii: Staff Masters and Stone Fools (Hong Kong: Rasti Chinese Art, 2020), 160 Exhibited ‘Hugh Moss: Paintings by the Master of the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat’, Hong Kong Club, 31 October 2016 – 9 February 2017 inscr iption Arming the forces of nature. A strange stone transformed by brush, paper and ink. When painting strange stones one never knows quite what will emerge, but it is nearly always something that was captured in the stone but perhaps not fully visible, perhaps not visible at all. This strange stone was filthy from neglect and languishing poorly placed in an ugly stand on the floor of a shop in Cat Street, Hong Kong. It was begging to be released, so I released it and now I release it some more. Inscribed by the Master of the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat in the early summer of 2012.