Meng Xiaoyun, a senior correspondent for China's People's Daily, spent nine months completing her stunningly beautiful oil painting work, "Children of the Wenchuan Earthquake", consisting of 49 portraits of boys and girls who survived the massive Wenchuan earthquake on May 12, 2008. These children, including famed "Coke Boy" Xue Xiao, "Salute Boy" Lang Zheng and "Ballet Girl" Li Yue, amazed the whole world with their will to survive calamity and with their youthful optimism in the face of their suffering. Meng has dedicated her work as an expression of her love and care for all young people who were affected by the tragedy.

The following are Meng's notes on creating the oil painting work.

Meng Xiaoyun stands in front of her painting "Children of the Wenchuan Earthquake". (Photo by Ke Linwei)

I felt a sense of inconceivable grief for the victims in quake zones destroyed by the terrible catastrophe that happened on May 12th last year, especially for those kids who were so young and innocent. When I saw a little hand tightly grasping a pencil under the ruins, a tiny shoe bare in the debris and rows of school bags no one claimed, my heart was bleeding and my soul was crying.

Immediately, I knew I must do something. I was overwhelmed by a strong desire to use my painting to reflect their moment of desperation in the earthquake. Then I began to search on the internet about their whereabouts.

I started on my paintings in August of 2008 and planned to finish them before the first year anniversary of the earthquake on May 12, 2009. It occurred to me that every day I was somehow being accompanied by the children in my work. Whether they were now in the quake-hit areas or in heaven, they were by my side forever and for always. I believed we were sharing the same destiny.

From dawn to dark, I drowned myself in endless sketches, drafts, paintings and revisions, like an old craftsperson who treats his work with patience and persistent care at every level. The advent of the anniversary, as it approached and I continued to work, made me push myself even more, giving me more inspiration.

Wu Junyi, the Boy Who Dug out His Mother out of the Ruins by Meng Xiaoyun.

It must be that the kids, strong-willed and toughened after the suffering, bestowed their courage and strength upon me in the nine months of loneliness and solitude. I felt supported by them.

In my paintings I focused on the children's living conditions in specific times, places and situations. I was deeply moved by their joy and sorrow, strongly inspired by their staunchness and perseverance and greatly touched by the pure nature that always shone from them.

The earthquake, like war, destroys everything beautiful and forces fragile lives to confront the threat of death.

But changes always come after the disasters. People, both adults and children, will learn to understand, to have gratitude, to contemplate and to learn how to face life again.