This wildly colored and heavily textured abstract of a brilliant bouquet of flowers is one of Jinlu's most popular worksBorn in the Chinese province of Anhui in 1963, Cheng Jinlu began studying painting at an early age. He was mentored by his father, himself a respected teacher in the traditional art of calligraphy, and from whom he learned the fundamentals of brushwork. In middle school, he was then instructed by Ying Tian Qi, a famous print artist of the time, in the techniques of lithography. In 1989, Jinlu graduated from the Central Art Institute of China with a major in Design and went on to hold various positions with Hong Kong design firms. In 2004, he entered the Chinese competition "Creative Oil Paintings by 1000 People" and won a Mention of Honor. This motivated him to pursue a career as an artist. Earlier in his career, Jinlu focused on the outdoor scene, using nature and light as inspiration. He would then interpret the scenes and imbue them with his own deep and mysterious point of view, creating unique works. His focus was always a balanced relationship between the subject and the background, a clever use of perspective and of color effects that would draw the viewer into the picture. His works "Back in the Evening", "Continental Song" and "Morning Sun" have been displayed in prominent locations and have been awarded prizes in China and abroad.