Barking up the right tree (2)

"The exposed tree trunk is quite smooth and clean and can be preserved for a long time," she says, adding that she used to draw pictures around manhole covers, such as of a middle-aged man smoking a cigar - but they quickly faded away as people walked over them.

Preparation for her tree trunk pictures involves quite a lot of work. First, her friend Li Yue takes about a week to scout for appropriate trees, as the exposed trunk must be large enough for a picture, otherwise there will be no visual impact.

Li takes photos of the tree candidates and sends them to Wang, who makes the decision to go ahead with a design, based on the size and shape of the exposed trunk.

She designs the images on her computer and uses software to add the shape of the exposed trunk, before sending the completed image to her phone, from which she eventually draws the design on the tree itself.

It takes her, on average, about two hours to complete a drawing.

"We usually chat when she does her drawings," says Li, who takes pictures of the artist while she works. "It makes the time pass quicker."

The local environmental protection bureau confirms the paints do not harm the trees.

Her tree trunk pictures have garnered praise not only at home, but all over the country, after they were posted online.

"The reaction was beyond my expectations," Wang says, insisting she will continue to work at her own pace and ensure the quality of each picture.

In the future she plans to inject a narrative element to the pictures, such as a yellow warbler on one exposed area of the trunk, and below it a squirrel looking up at the bird, so it looks as if they are talking to each other.

"I want people to interpret their own stories from my paintings," she says. "Since people love the pictures so much I will continue to do them after graduation," she says. "It's my gift to my home city."

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