Mr Shang's water colour

What are you painting? I asked. 'This street scene in Nanshan. It includes the theatre, shopping centre and in the distance the Kempinski hotel.'

Mr. Qi Shang, as he nods at his bicycle, tells me he cycled to Shenzhen from his hometown. He has lived in the southern city of Shenzhen for two years. He said, 'I like the weather here it's much warmer than my hometown in Lioaning'. For those of you who may not know Lioaning is in the far northeast of China bordering North Korea. That's around 1500 miles or roughly 2400 km he cycled!

Unlike the vast majority of painters in Dafen Oil Painting Village, Shenzhen he creates only his own work focusing on local scenes. I did buy the painting you can see in the blip it's of Shekou harbour near where I've lived for the past 3 years.

Mr. Shang had never had a foreigner buy his work before and we even posed for photos. When he discovered I come from England he said he admired English artists such as Turner and he especially likes Constable. Now on my next visit to Dafen I'll have a suitable picture frame made for memento.