Famous Song Dynasty painting recreated with carved shells

"The more exquisite you make it, the more it is worth appreciating," said Liu.

Western art's deep impression

Dish art

Liu started to make shell pictures in 1984, when she graduated from art school.

"I liked traditional Chinese realistic paintings, especially meticulous figures, flowers and birds. To be frank, shells made no sense to me in the beginning," she recalled.

Later on, Liu discovered their charm and she can make shell works based on her own paintings.

She worked in a State-owned shell-carving factory for 18 years until 2002, when the factory was restructured and she was laid off.

In order to make a living, Liu worked at a department store.

"It was the lowest moment. I didn't know what to do," she recalled.

Three years later, life turned to a new chapter - Liu and several other craftsmen were invited to work at a new shell company, where she regained the sense of passion for making shell pictures.

She can pick up a random shell and know whether it can be carved into a flower, a skirt, or a bearded face. While carving the shells, she seldom makes mistakes.

"That's not an easy job. Although Liu taught me everything she knows, I can not make beautiful work yet. I've wasted piles of shells," 20-year-old Zhang Mingshu said with an embarrassed smile.

Shell carving is not complicated, said Liu. A craftsperson needs a buffing wheel to polish shells, a grinding wheel and drills to carve, and glue to fix shells onto the background.

"All you need is practice. Practice makes perfect," Liu told her apprentice.

Liu said she will keep making pictures with beautiful shells as more people today value handmade products.