Artist in SW China's Chongqing turns stones into "animals"

Many people draw on paper, but few paint on stones.

Photo shows Mo Wuying painting an animal on a stone. (Photo/CCTV News)

Mo Wuying from southwest China's Chongqing municipality has been doing exactly this for the past eight years, and the animals she depicts on stones are startlingly lifelike.

Photo shows Mo’s painting on a stone. (CCTV News/Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

The poses of the animals she paints have to be created according to the shapes of the stones. Mo says it is an art that requires innovation and is also very interesting.

According to Mo, the first step is to draw a contour of an animal on a stone she has selected, which she then colors to make it stereoscopic. The final step involves putting in all the details.

Photo shows Mo’s painting on a stone. (CCTV News/Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Driven by her love of painting from a young age, Mo has been honing her stone painting skills for years. After initially trying her hand at sceneries and figures, she has focused on painting animals in the last three years.

Mo has completed hundreds of stone paintings so far. “The deeper I dive into it, the more attractive I find it," said Mo, who sometimes even forgets to eat or sleep because she is so absorbed in painting.

Photo shows Mo’s painting on a stone. (CCTV News/Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

"It usually takes me several days to finish an intricate stone painting. But it’s a therapeutic process, which makes me more patient and more careful," said Mo, adding that she intends to continue working on the craft. 

Photo shows Mo’s painting on a stone. (CCTV News/Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Photo shows Mo’s painting on a stone. (CCTV News/Photo courtesy of the interviewee)