"The Morning Song" by Guo Hua, depicting a Tibetan herdsman's daughter cooking milk tea with a smile on her face in the morning, won the golden prize in the first "Beauty of Tibet" Painting Contest in 2011. [Photo/China Tibet Online]

An oil painting named "The Morning Song", depicting a Tibetan herdsman's daughter cooking milk tea with a smile on her face in the morning, won the golden prize in the first "Beauty of Tibet" Painting Contest in 2011.

Born in Linzhou city of Central China's Henan Province, Guo Hua is a member of the Chinese Artists Association, whose artworks have won many awards in national painting competitions in recent years.

As an art teacher in a middle school, Guo Hua decided to give up his work a few years ago to make better artistic creations, since then he has gone to pursue inspiration in almost every corner of the country including Tibet which he always dreamed of.

When talking about Tibet, Guo Hua becomes talkative, saying he was deeply impressed by the beautiful scenery there.

Guo Hua has been to Tibet twice.

The first trip was a fruitless one because of the rough road, and he had to return halfway, Guo Hua said.

Two years later, when he stepped a second visit to Tibet, he was amazed by the Qinghai-Tibet and Sichuan-Tibet Highways, which not only facilitate the transportation for Tibetans, but also make it convenient for travelers to drive to Tibet.

"Tibet has changed so much in only two years: the life of local Tibetans has improved; they build larger houses," Guo Hua said with a smile.

Guo Hua loved the clean and beautiful plateau, deeply allured by its strong cultural atmosphere. Moreover, what impressed him most was the peaceful and tranquil life that Tibetans enjoyed.

Guo Hua has established a deep friendship with Tibetan people. He appreciated Thangka art and learned some experience in dealing with the colors from a Tibetan Thangka painter.

As a painter of oil painting, Guo Hua was gifted in portrait painting with delicate colors. He painted realistically to reflect the living condition of portraits, which always arouse echoes from the audiences.

"Wonderful" is Guo Hua's pet phrase when he talks about Tibet because he can't find a exact word to describe the beauty of Tibet. He said he never needs to polish Tibet in his painting works, for the natural Tibet is most beautiful.