My first contact in China was Ping Long, vice president of the Shanghai Watercolor Society. We had a language barrier, but worked hard to overcome it. I greatly appreciate his patience and effort to make me feel welcome. He is an outstanding artist and a great man.

Tai Keik Hock on the left is a gallery/museum owner In Malaysia. He says he doesn't paint, but he seems to be the glue that brings all of us together. Next is Low Puay Hua from Singapore. I liked him at first sight. His work blows me away and it is riveting to hear him…

This is Ismail Kadir from Malaysia, one if the best watercolorists in the world and one of my new great friends. We were immediately drawn to each other through our work and personalities. I hated to leave without spending more time with him.

Who Knew? Yangshou is a very out-of-the-way international hotspot. Many ex-pats and palefaces in the crowd here. Lots of bars with wireless too! The scenery is probably the most dramatically beautiful on earth. The two hour drive from the airport in Guilin was jaw-dropping. So far I have only had time to check in to…

I had no idea beforehand what events would await me in Lu Mountain, nor did I expect to make so many great new friends. Had I known I would have made arrangements to be here much longer. I must return next year. My speech was a big hit, and they made me feel like a…

Sorry for the barrage of updates, but there was no wireless in Lu Mountain and they have been backing up on my phone til I got to the airport in Nanchang. Hopefully they will send finally! Where I’m headed next may not have wireless either. This is the main drag in Lu Mountain. Nice, beautiful…

This is just a small portion of the artists filing out of an assembly at Lu Mountain. I was originally told there were to be 2000 of them, but there have been so many more pouring in. I estimate closer to 5k artists have swarmed this beautiful place. I speak again tonight, then have to…

Thousands of artists and art students have ascended Lu Mountain and are sketching and painting all over the place. The scenery is gorgeous, but in my opinion, the artists are the focal point. I hope we can have a watercolor event of this magnitude in the US someday! cheers, Paul (traveling in China)

When eggs are served green and black, no thank you Sam I am. They disappeared quickly without me, thank goodness. Not an epicurian adventure II am up for. I am in a crowd of people that eats some strange stuff, but much of it I am not willing to risk!

The iPhone camera has a unique feature in that it focuses simultaneously at all depths. In layman's terms, that means everything is in focus, whether it us near or far. This particular function is awesome for remembering the person who's business card you've just accepted. I will continue this practice when I get home and…