傳統中國畫歷史悠久，遠在2000多年前的戰國時期就出現了畫在絲織品上的繪畫——帛畫，而這也可以說是中國畫最早的起源。通常概念中，國畫多用水墨表現自然風物，風土人情，數千年來不外乎青綠山水、金碧山水、淺絳山水、沒骨山水等。而畫家何起寶卻以“水”畫火，以“墨”畫火，以自己的生命去畫火，以其一己之力開創了用“火”的特殊風格來表現中國傳統山水畫藝術的“火墨畫”，堪為中國畫“火”第一人，也是“火墨畫派”的創始人。

何起寶近影

        何起寶，1958年出生于河北省三河市，插過隊，當過知青，推崇毛澤東、周恩來、馬克思等歷史偉人。后參加到油田工作。期間，白天積極投入到工作當中，晚上自學山石盆景制作、攝影和潛心研究佛教思想理論，人生經歷豐富而坎坷。在荒無人煙的山林大漠工作多年的特殊經歷，使得其性格也如大山一般，超絕而逸氣超拔。在確定自己的繪畫藝術之路后，經過自己的拼搏學習和努力，考入中央美術學院，受教于當時的“黃潤華、李行簡、胡勃”等老師。后又經過幾年努力，進一步提高了自己的繪畫水平，也看到了自己更多的不足，認識到想要在繪畫上有更深一層的突破，光靠自己單一的研究是不夠的，通過一番努力，有幸結識了中國山水畫名家“陳克永”先生，并認其為師父。而陳克永先生為一代國畫大師白雪石的入室弟子，這樣看來，可以說何起寶先生也是白雪石大師的再傳弟子。白雪石先生曾為北京山水畫研究會的會長，曾多次為中南海繪制巨幅作品，何起寶先生繼承了白雪石先生對于大場面的把握能力，接其衣缽，何先生作品開創了“大氣魄”，“大場面”，“大意境”的山水畫風格。從中也可一窺白雪石先生廣采博取北派，南派，運用傳統技法和現代章法創造出具有獨特風格的白派山水。而何起寶先生山水畫中那蒼莽大氣的畫風，勁健恣肆的筆墨運用，結構豐富細膩的畫風又可看出其親授老師陳克永的影響，而何起寶在兼收兩位恩師藝術之精髓的基礎上又以自己的天賦異稟與勤奮予作品以旋轉強烈的動勢、大膽不羈的色彩，筆到意達，筆筆直抒內心波瀾壯闊的奔放激情，寓作品以深遠的意境。畫家在繼承傳統繪畫技法風格的深刻體會之上，逐漸認識和形成了自己的藝術觀念和筆墨技法，在自己幾十年的藝術創作上逐漸形成了“火”和傳統山水完美融合的創新風格，實現了幾千年來傳統山水畫上的一個巨大突破與革新，也由此創立了獨一無二的“火墨畫”派系。

何起寶作品

        何起寶先生的作品借鑒自然物質之物來表現自己的思想觀念和內心世界。對佛法有著精深研究的何起寶先生把表現萬物生命的和平、美好、希望的思想放在其藝術創作的首位。把強烈、積極向上、充滿激情的內心世界融入到自己的作品當中。而“火”的創新藝術作為先生的獨有風格，在何起寶的繪畫生涯中占據了最為重要的位置。畫家通過自然載體，把內心世界的大美、激情通過那一團團熊熊燃燒的烈火以自己獨創的藝術形式在傳統的中國山水畫中淋漓盡致的表現了出來。

何起寶作品

        如何把佛家積極、向上、美好的思想理念傳遞給觀眾始終是何起寶老師最大的愿望。萬物都有紅火的希望，而何起寶老師把“火”的創新風格融入傳統山水，希望通過“火”本身的寓意把追求紅紅火火、蒸蒸日上、希望、好運的思想想法表達出來，也實現了何起寶老師傳播佛家積極、向上、美好理念的愿望。
        何起寶先生不僅在中國畫千年發展史上做出了重大突破，更是在作品的境界上達到了前無古人的氣勢。筆者有幸親見畫家數幅巨作，無論是“山火魂”還是“萬家燈火”皆為大氣磅礴之鴻篇巨制，站在這氣勢恢宏的長卷前，筆者被其畫面中所表現的大氣恢弘所深深震撼。正如何起寶先生所言：“我的作品不僅僅需要體現技法，那未免流于膚淺，我認為更重要的是表達出我內心世界的思想。”何起寶老師“火”的創新風格在突破傳統山水風格之上，又把自我想要傳遞的佛教思想完美的融入其作品當中，達到了傳統山水融入創新風格而體現內心思想的完美結合。
        當我們駐足在畫家作品前時，那發自靈魂深處的熊熊之焰鋪面而來，氣場強大而攝人心魄。畫家用筆狂放不羈，脫離了技法與俗事的羈絆，意境脫俗而天地合一，何起寶筆下作品既是自己多年傳奇人生經歷的現實關照，更是對人生，對佛學的大徹大悟后的淋漓揮灑而寫就的壯闊篇章。先生藝術的核心與唯一性就在于其圖像意境的創新，風格與審美情趣的不同，如何在傳統水墨這些幾千年來傳承下來的文化精髓中突破出新？這一難題可以說在先生的“火墨畫”作品里得到了完美的解答。“水”與“火”的沖突與和諧在何起寶先生的畫作中完美體現。先生借古托今，使我們看到了予感性中的一種理性抗爭，以及對自由境界的不懈追求。
        To paint flames with water
        ——The founder of flame painting
        Jun Liu   
        Chinese painting has a long history. Painting on silks in the Warring States period, named Bo Hua in Chinese, is possibly the origin of the Chinese painting. Generally, traditional Chinese painting is characterized by green and blue landscape, shallow purple landscape and non-sketch lines landscape. In the long-term development, natural scenery and local conditions and customs have been following above         characteristics. However，He Qibao’s painting works show us the fire’s characteristics，shape, quality and momentum. He has been painting the image of flame and has devoted himself to it. As the founder of the Flame Painting School，Mr. He makes a breakthrough in Chinese painting history.
        He Qibao was born in the city of Sanhe, Hebei. Since his birth in 1958, he suffered a lot. Once he was sent to live and work in a production team as an intellectual. His special experience in the mountains, forests and deserts, made his bold and unconstrained character. He learned many years from famous painter Chen Keyong, Bai Xueshi's disciple. That is to say, He Qibao is the indirect-disciple of Bai Xueshi, who was the chairman of Beijing Landscape    Painting Research Association. Bai Xueshi painted many times for Zhongnanhai. He Qibao has inherited Bai Xueshi’ability of controlling big spectacle and has created the landscape style of great spectacle, great artistic conception and great boldness of vision, where we can see the Bai School’s landscape unique painting style by traditional techniques and modern tricks, absorbing painting elements of South of China School and North of China School. He Qibao’s painting styles, indistinctly broad vision, powerfully unrestrained color and diversely delicate techniques, are influenced by the painting style of his teacher Chen Keyong. Moreover, with standing on the shoulders of his two mentors and depending on his own gift and hard work, every line of his paintings, strongly gyrating, unstrained color and delicate techniques, manifests his intense emotion and the deep artistic conception. He has formed his own artistic concept based on the traditional painting techniques and styles. He has created his unique painting works, image of flames, originating from his decade’s art making. He has made a revolution in Chinese landscape painting.
        Mr. He expresses his thought and emotion by what natural things show in his works. Mr. He deeply studies Buddha dharma and he puts the thoughts of peace, kindness and hope in the first place of artistic creation. He has made intense passion and positive attitude into his painting works. As a unique style, the flames painting works play an important role in He Qibao’s painting career. Through the unique painting of naturally raging flames, he fully expresses the Broad Beauty in his heart, and his unique artistic creation also stands out in traditional Chinese landscape painting.
Mr. He’s best wish is to present the peace, positive attitude and beauty of Buddha dharma in his painting works. As a new medium, image of fire has perfectly expressed the Buddha dharma under Mr. He’s painting techniques.
        He Qibao not only makes a breakthrough in painting images but also attains high artistic conception. I luckily saw his two great works, Soul of Mountain Flames and Myriad Lights manifesting his boldness and grandness. Standing before these great works, I was shocked. As Mr. He says, “Mind and thought underlying painting works are the most important things, while techniques of painting works is superficial.” Mr. He’s flames painting based on traditional landscape painting fully contains Buddha dharma what he wants to expresses. It is a perfect combination of traditional painting characteristics, innovative styles and his own thought and emotion.
        When we see Mr. He’s painting works, we can shockingly feel that the fire flames up to our face, which shows great scenery. Mr. He boldly gets rid of traditional painting techniques and trivial matters and creates elegant artistic conception, the sky and the earth in one. His great painting works on the understanding of Buddha dharma and life represent his special experience. The artistic conception is unique. His painting style and aesthetics are different from others. The flame painting is the development of traditional wash painting and it also can be thought as a revolution. In Mr. He’s painting works, the contradiction and harmony between water and fire are completely manifested. Mr. He has developed the traditional Chinese painting. His emotion contains the rational conflict and he will pursue freedom and liberty in his painting career.