Totally arranged program filled with classical oriental painting images and cultural experiences, working with a watercolor master teacher, his students & a group museum exhibition. Rob's 4th trip to Japan in 3 years.

This is the most unusual and comprehensive workshop ever conducted to date by Watercolor Worldwide. Not only will the American group travel to the beautiful northwest coast city Niigata with the ultimate in landscape imagery, but the group will be working with one of the few full-time Japanese/Chinese water-colorists and his students. We will use his watercolor school and workshop space in the heart of Niigata. Niigata is along the western ocean shore surrounded by mountains and rice fields and visible from the coast is the mystical island of Sado (Sato). After the group exhibition in Niigata, the two groups will travel by private coach to Kyoto, paint classical scenery, temples, museums in the old city areas. The workshop will conclude in Tokyo where we will travel by coach, with painting sites on both full days, two important museums, other tourist sites of Tokyo and of course, time to shop in the Ginza District.

Niigata Base Host: Fuyu Azuma
He is the youngest full-time watercolorist in Japan today. He is of Chinese decent and immigrated to Japan twelve years ago from the famed Luxun Academy of Art in Shenyang, China. He and his wife are also the owners of a watercolor painting school and gallery near the commercial center of Niigata, Japan. His most recent solo show was in Tokyo this past fall. Rob traveled to Japan last summer to work with his students and participate in the 2nd International Watercolor Conference, Rob has traveled extensively on many art related adventures to Asia since 1993. Fuyu¹s watercolor group is filled with civic leaders and support from different cultural levels. Even the head of state will attend the exhibition along with the media.

Base: Niigata
Niigata is northwest of Tokyo on the west coast, is ringed by the Alps of Japan on one side of Niigata and the rice fields and classic oriental scenery on the other side along the coast of this mid-sized city. Niigata prefecture¹s two rivers lead into the Sea of Japan, the Shinano and the Agano, longest in Japan, leading one to a vast and magnificent seascape with over 200 miles of coastline roads. Niigata is a modern and typical Japanese city with a university and old town temple center amongst the modern buildings along the longest river in Japan. Our painting studio base is within walking distance of the downtown center and our hotel will be a van or taxi ride across the river from downtown. The Art Inn is a modern business three-star hotel with a full breakfast buffet. All meals, three times a day are included with a variety of places to experience the Asian cuisine as we travel from north to south through the main island of Japan.

The participants will be sending some smaller watercolors of individual selection to Niigata prior to departure. These will be framed in Niigata for hanging in the international watercolor exhibition. Rob will be shipping the flat paper works on March 1. The cost is included in the workshop fee and also grant funded by the city and state of Niigata as well as by the students of Fuyu Azuma.