Painting the poets is French artist's passion

Jean Yves Simon in front of his painting Lost at his studio in Heiqiao, an art village in Beijing.

Sometimes, the painter sketches imaginary faces quickly and sometimes he spends days waiting for inspiration. He never plans in advance what he will paint but he is fond of letting his brushes take him to places beyond his imagination.

The philosophy of Simon's painting style matches his fascination with ancient Chinese philosophers Laozi and Zhuangzi, pioneers of Taoism who stress naturalness and spontaneity. Taoism is also Simon's life philosophy.

Simon visited China for the first time in 2000. Before he arrived he visualized a country of mountains and lakes everywhere, just like what he saw in traditional Chinese paintings and what he read in the ancient poems.

But the urban face of Beijing surprised him. He drew a self-portrait with his eyes and mouth wide open to show his shock.

A follower of Taoism that advocates change, Simon quickly settled into life in Beijing. He has traveled across China since then, and has discovered the landscapes described in the poems he loves, in different places in China.

He has traveled to more than eight provinces and has made many sketches, illustrating China's breathtaking scenery and fascinating people.