Local artists create a fishermen's painting on a house wall in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/IC]

A series of public training courses recently opened in Putuo district, Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province to encourage local residents to enrich their lives through art.

Six foreigners living in the city attended the fishermen's painting course.

Fishermen's painting is a local folk art which features colorful images depicting the ocean, the lives of fishermen, and folk customs. 

"The painting style has a unique charm due to its bold design, bright colors and rich imagination," said Ally Hood, an American artist working in Zhoushan, adding that she was attracted to the paintings every time she saw them on the street but never had the opportunity to learn how to make them herself. 

When the training course opened, she immediately signed up with some of her friends. 

"I'm also thinking about incorporating elements of fishermen's painting into my own paintings to create more interesting works," said Hood, claiming that, though a little bit challenging, the art form is very enjoyable. 

According to Jang Shenghui, a teacher for the course, this is the first time that the course has received foreign students, although there have been many students from other cities in previous courses.

Jiang noted that more and more people have been coming to Putuo to learn fishermen's painting in recent years, whether it be for fun or for their career. Many of her students' works have been selected to be shown in provincial and national painting exhibitions. 

"I didn't think that foreigners would be interested, but this has made us more confident in promoting it on the international stage," said Jiang. 

In addition to the painting, courses on chorus, calligraphy, photography, opera, dance and flute playing are also available until the end of May.