China - Oct/Nov 2009 

Painting Vacation to Kaiping, China
October 25-November 4, 2009

Jason Situ and I will be returning to Kaiping, China for 9 days of plein air painting.  The city of Kaiping lies in the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong province.  The surrounding area is known for unique structures known as diaolou, multi-storied towers constructed from the Qing Dynasty for housing and protection from bandits.  Approximately 1,800 diaolou still stand today, and they along with their villages were added to the list of World Heritage Sites in 2007.  These towers are very unique and add a strange medieval quality to the countryside.

We'll spend time painting in these villages, which is a nice change of pace from painting in the city.  The Chinese people were very gracious, but also very curious, and a plein air painter can attract quite a crowd in the city!  There are students from the Kaiping Art Center who may join us on our painting excursions, a few of whom speak English.  Jason is a wonderful person to travel to China with, particularly this area as he has many friends nearby.  He was born in Guangdong and was trained at the prestigious Guangzhou Fine Arts Institute.  We plan on taking a day trip to the Art Institute to see the classrooms, visit the wonderful gallery, and meet with current students and instructors.