Shiy De-jinn liked to draw in nature as well as about nature. He insisted that only when close to nature can one gain the inspiration to create a work that truly moves its viewers. Sometimes, he would even find in painting the excitement of a tryst. When he painted alone in the wild, he seemed to be united with nature.

The tranquility and elegance of the scenery of Tamsui River is an often-seen topic in his watercolors. He once wrote, "To paint the landscape of Tamshui River, I often rush there before the sunset so that I can see the emerging beach and the drained river bed after the tide recedes. I often wander along the bank where flocks of egrets alight, where the grass and bush thrive. I often find an abandoned sandbank and plant myself there as if I were deserted in a more primitive era. I lose myself there. Then, Mt. Guanyin rises from the plain sandbank and projects itself on the still water. The water is the sky, the sky is the water."