“I often find myself longing for the sea – longing to be at the seaside, where I can find relief from the gloom and despondency that overwhelms me.” “That expanse of blue ripples, the sea that is both still and turbulent.” An artist of great sensibility, Shiy De-jinn often resorted to writing as a means of achieving emotional release, expressing in textual form his hopes and desires, such as a wish to experience the balm offered by proximity to the sea and the ocean breeze. “A View of the Coast in Hsinchu County” was painted on a trip that Shiy and a friend made to the coast in Hsinchu County to paint from life. The coast in this area is dotted with tall iron-wood trees; the waving of their branches in the wind reflects Hsinchu’s status as Taiwan’s “windy city.”

“A View of the Coast in Hsinchu County” combines the bright luster of oil paintings with the wash effect of watercolors, together with the “rhythmic” feel and scroll-type composition of traditional Chinese ink-brush painting and the “rule of thirds” precept from photography. The tall windbreak trees help to create an ink-and-color ocean scene that is both stark and modern. The poet and artist Lo Ch’ing commented that “Shiy De-jinn loved to use wash effects on paper, which enabled him to portray dawn or dusk, wind and rain, clouds, mist and haze.” The faint, hazy way in which the waves, beach and iron-wood trees are depicted give this painting a unique appeal. Shiy has successfully captured the essential elements that need to be fused into the natural scene he portrays. The oddly-proportioned small red-roofed building might be taken to represent the lonely artist, giving an intensely moving aspect to this desolate coastal scene.