Shiy De-jinn once said, “If we don’t explain watercolor painting in such a narrow way, will it enable us to see Chinese ink painting of the Song Dynasty as a kind of watercolor painting?”

In the biography of Shiy, Cheng Hui-mei writes, “The exploration of modern Chinese painting allowed him to establish ‘Taiwan landscapes, Chinese concepts’–his unique style in watercolor. Watercolor and ink wash became two sides of the same coin. His exploration of ink wash accomplished his unique style of watercolor, while his achievement in watercolor also revealed the spark of ink wash.”

“Blue Coast” has both the characteristics of watercolor and ink wash. Shiy broke the composition principles of Chinese ink wash painting: texturing, wash and contour. He brought life and vitality to his color ink painting by applying watercolor, depicting this beautiful scenery of the Tamsui riverfront with a modern and minimalist style.