When I was in my twenties, I liked a painter very much. His name was Xi Dejin.
He is a watercolor painter from Sichuan, China. He often sketches in the countryside.
Once I learned on the news that he had cancer. I didn't have his phone, so I went to the public phone to find his information.
This is the first time I called a stranger, and he answered the phone and asked who I am? I explained to him that I appreciate his work. He said thank you.
I wish him a speedy recovery. It didn't take long for the news of his death to come. I was extremely sad. To those who looked up in my heart, I was very happy to at least convey my respect and love to him.
那是個晴天的早晨,我趁著中午午休,特別到外面的使用電話亭。用電話簿查人名資料,在個人項目中搜尋他的名字。啊!有找到。因為名字很特別所以只有數個相同的名字,不多。可以一個一個打去問看看。也許是老天幫忙,很快就找到。
大概是第三個吧! 有點忘記了。
請問你是畫家席德進嗎?話筒的另一端傳來一種很濃的鄉音。
他說我是。問我是誰,我說我非常喜歡你的作品,報紙上說你生病了,希望你可以早日恢復健康.........。
離現在已有數十多年了。當時很緊張,忘記他說什麼? 好像是類似他會好好保重之類的話……….。
這是埋在我心裡很久的秘密,除了上回和一位老師提過,大概就沒人知道了。
年輕時的我,喜歡畫畫,席德進也是喜歡的畫家之一,不知道自己為什麼有勇氣打電話給一位陌生人,當時就想這麼做,沒多久就聽到他往生的消息,暫厝在台北市立殯儀館。公祭那天,我特別請假去祭拜。
之後得知他安放在台中的大度山上,一直想去找找,但隨著時間的後移就不了了之。
他往生後,他的朋友為他在畫廊辦了個展,我也去參觀。報紙上對他有多諸多的評價,我通常只挑喜歡的看。
喜歡他的水彩畫,尤其是畫台灣鄉村的風景,有人說他是最像畫家的的畫家,我不知道這是褒還是貶,對他個人也有許多的言詞,這些對我來說都不重要,重要的是你曾經欣賞一個人的畫風,也許你不會依循他的道路或是受到他的影響,只是身為一位藝術愛好者,對於那些執著於自己想法奉獻給藝術的人,內心充滿著感佩。啊!眼眶怎麼濕透了呢!