《大象无形》这本集子里收录的60幅水粉风景画作，全部出自我近二十年执教生涯中留存下来的百余件水粉画作品之中，且这些画作全部产生于带学生风景写生的教学环节。
虽说这风景画作中少有人物影像，在集子的编辑过程中却绝对不会“见物不见人”。历届写生实习活动中生动、鲜活的学生形象，以及他们的音容笑貌全部历历在目，在我的脑海里久久挥之不去。与此同时，每一个风景写生实习基地父老乡亲们的人物众生相，以及画里画外的趣闻轶事，生活中的点点滴滴，甚至琐碎细节中的“陈谷子”、“烂芝麻”之类，如同打翻的五味瓶，百感交集地在脑海里“过电影”。
于是乎，感恩之情油然而生。首先，要感谢生活赐予了我这份与绘画艺术相关的教师职业，使我得以用画笔、用真情实感与壮丽山河、秀美风景交流、对话，并从中偶有所获、必有所得。谢师，作为常理早已纳入了感恩的范畴，我却要在这里郑重其事地感谢学生，那些记得住名字和叫不出姓名的学生，那些可气又可爱、可笑又可亲的学生，是他们给了我职场上传道授业的快乐，给了我生活的乐趣，更给了我艺术创作的欲望与激情!
《大象无形》还未出版就有看过书稿的朋友给予充分的肯定，其誉美之词曰：“厚积薄发。”我十分感激这份真诚的厚爱，但着实不敢妄自尊大，自以为是。在我看来，这集子里的所有画作并非尽善尽美，更不敢与“大家之作”相提并论，但我却能从中找到自信——这些写实的风景画作是向正祥地地道道的原创作品，我个人对于艺术、对于生活、对于人生的态度是真诚的。
透过画作，我似乎有所感悟：倘若想在不惑之年仍有所期待，有所长进，积极进取的工作状态与待人处世的平和心态至关重要。常润画笔，经常性地去写生基地与学生“同甘共苦”，体验画里画外的艺术人生，才有可能来灵感、生创意、出作品，也只有这样经年累月地不断积累，才有可能出现《大象无形》的后续之作。
尊敬的李渔先生在看过画作书稿之后，欣然为本书作序，这既是朋友的缘分，也是我本人的荣幸。《家具与室内装饰》杂志主编王周先生在本书的选题策划和文字加工润色方面鼎力相助。此外，还得到了许多朋友的支持与帮助。在此，一并致以衷心的感谢!
向正祥
2006年6月于长沙
In this collection“Invisible Figure”, there are 60 pieces of gouache works, all selected from more than 100 pieces I have kept for almost 20 years of my teaching. Furthermore, these works have been finished within the period of taking students out for outdoor practice.
Although person image rarely can be seen, during the course of editing the works, the relative persons have always appeared in front of  my eyes. The images of the students are still vividly flashed in my mind. The pictures of peasants in the destinations for sketching, interesting episodes about different kinds of people, chores of daily life and even the old stories every one knows, are projected in my mind. Instantly, all sorts of feelings well up in my heart like a over overturned cruet.
Therefore, I am grateful for the life, which endows with me the teach-ing profession  which enables me to touch beautiful scenery and magnificent motherland with painting brush and true feeling, from which I have gathered something useful by chance and eventually possessed them for sure. It's common sense to give thanks to my teachers, but here I must formally thank my students, whose names are not all clearly remembered. They are lovely, offence-taking, funny and adorable. They bring cheerfulness to my teaching, my life, and even give me the aspiration and fervor.
This collection without being published has been received affirmation from the friends, who have read the collection. The compliments goes as long time of accumulation is condensed into the elite. As for this, I do  give my gratitude for their profound friendship, but I myself can't be so arrogant. To me, although the pieces in this collection can not be counted as being perfect, of course not be put them side by side with masterpiece, I have gathered confidence from them. Because these realistic landscape paintings are truly original, true to art, living and the attitude to life. Transcending the physical paintings, I have more or less generalized that if you plan to make some achievements at the age about 50, the aggressive working attitude and treating people and things about you friendly and calmly are allimportant. Continuously practicing drawing and frequently being together with students to share joys and hardships and to taste  the artistic life within and outside the works , then you will generate inspiration, originality and works. By keeping on doing this year by year, it will be likely to publish  the continuation of this collection.
The respectable Mr. Liyu enjoyed the manuscript of the collection and agreeably wrote the preface, this is the luck bringing us together and my honour. The editor in chief of the magazine funiture& Interior Design, Mr. Wangzhou did me a favor on the subject selection and plan and embellishment. And many friends supported and helped me in all kinds of ways. Hereby, I am grateful to my friends sincerely for their help
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Xiang Zhengxiang
June 2006 in Changsha