Every Saturday morning I wake up early to go to a flower and bird painting class I take at the "Old People's University." Some days, like today, it can be the most utterly frustrating and seemingly pointless task I've ever taken on; but other days it lifts my spirits.

We have painted all sorts of things -- bamboo, grapes, shrimp (I'm not sure how shrimp fit into the "flower and bird" category, but I didn't make up the curriculum), purple magnolias, roses, chickens, and lately we've been working on another bird.

My bird paintings have looked a lot like vultures, but my teacher, Li Laoshi, can paint a handsome looking bird.

Here are some photos from today's class.

Here is Joan looking very happy for such an early hour on Saturday morning.

A devoted student -- working hard to copy the master.

Sometimes Teacher Li (sitting) likes to paint pictures for his students. Teacher Qian doesn't do much in class, except walk around and critique our work in an incomprehensible mixture of standard Chinese and the Hangzhou dialect.

Here are some paintings from the landscape painting class.