He worked various itinerant jobs.  It was not an unusual life in those days, or even today.  Young people leave the farms to find a new way of living and get their education through experience.  It is a much more fluid and risky path, but one that served Deng well.

Even as a child he was attracted to the fine arts.  He loved beautiful things.  He often visited temples and monasteries to see the paintings and statues.  Once on his own, he often visited Lin Jushi, a Buddhist monk in Tianjin. 

He used to watch him as he painted and practiced calligraphy.  He found it fascinating.   The monk must have responded to his avid interest because he introduced him to Li Kun Pu, who was the Chief-secretary of the Tianjin Fine Arts Association.  Li Kun Pu began tutoring him.  Before long Deng's talents became evident.   His life changed.  He studied painting and calligraphy and developed his skill.

Today, Deng Shu Heng lives in Xinjiang in the desert foothills near Tianshan Lake.  The area offers contrasts of beauty from the spare to the lush.  It's a harsh environment but one that offers a close relationship with nature. 

He exhibits his work in galleries in China and Japan and his work has been chosen as presentation gifts to visiting heads of state and dignitaries by the government.

A different interpretation is used below where he melds the characters with the shape of the stone and emphasizes the overall sense of motion.