As China opens its curtains for the world, it reveals treasures that have remained hidden for too long. One such example might be artist Li Junsheng.
He has spent half his 46 years on earth tapping into its natural resources to create and nurture his very own contribution to the art world - sandstone painting.
First, a word by way of explanation. This writer is a philistine of the first order. Much of the art world, especially paintings, leave me cold - Manet might as well be Monet and as for the Mona Lisa, what's the big deal? (Show me an Annie Liebovitz portrait photo, though, and that's a different story).
So it was a shock to the system to find my spirit raised on a recent visit to Zhangjiajie by the artistic work of one of its unsung heroes.
Eager to learn more, I discovered Li had been developing this form of painting in the 1980s, lived locally and was available for interview. The appointment was duly made.
It was also fortuitous because just two days later, I was told, Li was headed for Las Vegas and his first exhibition in the United States. In 22 years, his sandstone paintings had been shown occasionally around China and only once overseas, in Paris in 2004. His exposure through the media had also been restricted to a handful of interviews.
We were to meet at the sprawling Zhangjiajie property which serves as his home, gallery, studio and Li Junsheng Academy, where he houses more than 20 hand-picked students from around China.
First, a staffer guides us through the gallery and explains Li's modus operandi. Zhiangjiajie is blessed with acres of sandstone mountains, whose multi-colored stones are gathered, crushed, rinsed and filtered into the fine material which is glued to the canvas.
Other environmental resources, including tree bark and bamboo sticks, are also used to texture the painting, giving it a 3-dimensional effect.
The final product manages to infuse the delicate artistry of an oil painting with a realism achieved by including the actual materials from the landscape they depict.
These bald facts can only begin to convey the overall effect, which is stunning. As I soak up the information I am introduced to a diminutive, gentle woman and told this is Pin Jing, Li's wife. Then, from around a corner, Li appears.A dapper man with cellphone earpiece in place, he presents more like a businessman than artist, though it became clear that is very much a backseat role. He is quietly spoken but intermittently more self-assured when the topic turns to his life's passion.
The genial host offers various snacks as he recalls how his eyes were opened to the potential of sandstone painting in 1986. While out for a walk near his home one day, he was so intrigued to see a builder decorating a new house with sandstone that he immediately went home and had a go at creating a painting with the stuff.
"It wasn't very good but it was a start," he says through an interpreter. "Old Chinese painters had used ink created from black sandstones, so I thought this was worth trying and persevering with."Once he'd started, Li was a prolific producer. "Sometimes if the mood takes me I can turn out a painting in 15 minutes," he says. "Obviously it depends on the amount of detail involved but sometimes I suddenly come up with an idea and I'm keen to do it so I work very fast. Sometimes I can't even stop myself."
Li's portfolio is a mixture of landscapes, abstracts and a blend of both, all based on the natural beauty of Hunan, mainly Zhangjiajie and the town of Feng Huang, four hours away.
Sometimes he will photograph a scene and work from it at home but mostly he carries the image in his mind. "A good painter should be able to carry great amounts of details in his head," he says, his speech quickening with enthusiasm. "I could meet you a few times, then go home and paint you very accurately. That is a key skill.
"Anyway, a camera and sandstones are just minor tools - the brain is the most important one. Beautiful art isn't limited by the materials you use - it's determined by the painter's imagination and soul. It should also be a harmonious relationship between human beings and nature. After all, we are all one."
His biggest payday for a sandstone painting was "more than one million yuan ($147,000)", he lets on, his voice now barely a whisper. Then more forcefully: "I don't think that's too much for a painting if you love it. You can't judge a painting's value by how much it sells for, anyway."
He already considers himself rich (despite his almost total lack of exposure outside his hometown) but it is incidental. "If you can spend your life doing your favorite things, you're very lucky - and I do," he says without a hint of arrogance.Moreover, as he packed his bags for the States, he had limited expectations of what the trip might bring. "I'm excited about it but I only want two things," he says. "Firstly, for American people to know about sandstone painting and like it, and secondly, to make some friends who are artists."
His long-term goal is to establish more schools and take sandstone painting to a wider audience. He'd happily take classes himself but is loath to spend too long away from home. "I'd prefer to stay here," he says uncompromisingly, "because this is my original place - it's my home and I love it."
Another Beijing exhibition is on the cards for early next year, he says after checking with his secretary and Li appreciates the fact that big cities hold the key to his further fame and fortune. Nevertheless, extended time in the big smoke will not be happening, nor even periods away broadening the scope of his landscapes.
"I'll never get bored of painting Zhangjiajie," he says. "I can still visit places around the world but this will always be home and where I want to spend my time."
Chances are, you'll have to take a trip to western Hunan to see Li's sandstone paintings for yourself. Even if you somehow forgot the mountains, National Forest Park and everything else, it would still be worth every cent.