During a visit to Badashanren Memorial Hall in Nanchang, where paintings of a famous Chinese artist from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) were on exhibition, Collins-Green was intrigued by how a tiny brush could depict the curves of hills, and shade and light on paper.

In his years spent translating "The Dream of the Red Chamber" into English, he has gradually found his way of combining Chinese and foreign cultures into his paintings, writing the poems in English as the backdrops of his figures.

As of this year, Collins-Green has completed over 2,500 works, including translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber," landscape paintings and portraits.

He lives a life greatly influenced by "The Dream of the Red Chamber," renting a loft of about 9 square meters beside his university as a studio.

Since March, his paintings have been exhibited at art festivals in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Xi'an, bringing him a group of fans. Some have sent him emails, asking the meanings of the poems in his paintings.

"We can see from Collins-Green that traditional Chinese culture is becoming more attractive to people in other countries," said Li Shunchen, Collins-Green's mentor at Jiangxi Normal University.

"I really recommend that more people come to China to see how fast it is changing and to enjoy the charm of its culture," Collins-Green said.