Tao Shoubo (1902-1997), also known as Zhifen, also known as Zhifen, Wanshi, a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu. Since childhood, he has been honest and studious, and at the age of 15, he joined the famous suzhou teacher Tang Boqian to study calligraphy, seal engraving, and engraving of monuments. At the age of 23, he studied under Shen Enfu, a senior in Shanghai, and studied the Shuowen and the study of Kong Mengzhi. At the age of 25, he transferred to The Master of Yilin, Zhao Shuru, and directly entered the Zhao Clan Tang'ao. Later, he worshiped Zhang Daqian as his teacher. It is proficient in painting, calligraphy, and seal engraving, and is called "three absolutes", and the painting plum is called the holy hand. Yu Youren commented that he "carved and pushed the giant hand in the sea, and the painting plum was also the first". Tao Shoubo transferred to Taiwan via Hong Kong in 1950 and sang with the famous cross-sea masters Yu Youren, Zhang Daqian, Pu Xinshe, huang Junbi and so on. Throughout his life, he has been diligent in art affairs, has governed more than 10,000 prints and paintings, and has held more than 150 calligraphy and painting exhibitions overseas, sparing no effort to promote and disseminate traditional Chinese culture and making outstanding contributions.
When Tao Shoubo was 71 years old, he made a long question on "MoMei Tu", describing his method of learning plums, the process, the object of taking the law, and the appreciation of the former sages, which is a very childlike article, so it is recorded as follows: "There are three realms for writing plums, and the beginners have drawn drafts, followed by the famous deeds of the ancients, and then taking the law and nature." If you persevere and enter the realm of transformation, you can create a new personality, but it is difficult for thousands of people to seek an ear. Wang Yuanzhang planted plum Yingqian, writing that the plum pond is black, and his paintings seem to be near sketches, but carefully examining its twigs and flowers, it is not all portrait, but it is not a face, because it has the honorific title of 'King Mei'. The shouzhi of Chen's master has also been passed down through the generations and is famous. In the Qing Dynasty, Jin Dongxin and Zhao Shuxian were famous Jinshi calligraphers and painters, Jin Mei won with secrets, and Zhao Mei took his elegant show. In modern times, Wu Changshuo wrote plums, purely in calligraphy, with seals planted, with grass branches and flowers, dripping with ink, using pen, ink, water magic, vivid rhyme is its extremely high state. The circle has been dotted for more than forty years, and even the book engraving has reached more than fifty years, because I know that this is also bitter. "The text says the three realms of painting Mei' is also the three steps of Xi Mei, the first is to teach the ancients, the second is to take the Fa nature, and the third is to enter the realm of transformation.
Tao Shoubo said: "I write plums because I love plums, I study the ancients to paint plums because I write plums, and I visit plum blossoms everywhere because I write plums, and I also have the guidance and research of famous teachers and friends, which can be called plum fools." "Not only did I visit Mei in my dreams and draw plums in my dreams, but when my friends were talking, the middle finger of my right hand kept writing about the structure of plum blossoms, which was a real thing, not a dream." I have tested myself again and again, and I don't know how many times a month. ”
Tao Shoubo really entered the situation where his body and mind were painting and painting all the time. Only then is he qualified to say that what he paints is "the plum in his chest", what he sends is the feeling in his chest, and what he gets is the wonder of the source of his heart. When he was 82 years old, he painted a three-color plum with the inscription: "The heterogeneous plum opens the three colors, and the colorful eyes are always fresh." Many realms depend on me, and the old man has not slept all night. "Writing Mei has entered the realm of transformation, and writing it casually is Mei Chuanshen."