Paul Jackson of Columbia is the only American participating in the watercolor exhibition.

For many of us, playing with watercolors is a thing of the past, but for Jackson, it's his passion.

"Watercolor has soul built in, when you put the medium on paper it does it's own thing and it has a life of its own," Jackson said.

Seth, his friend of 10 years, said he admires Paul's work.

"I never really got into watercolor partly because every time I tried I got a little blob and, you know," Seth said.

Many, like Seth, would consider watercolors hard to control, and yet Paul creates wonders. They aren't your everyday watercolors. Paul is showcasing his work in the international exhibition as one of the world's top 20 watercolor artists.

"So it makes me the sole representative for Team USA," Jackson said.

Paul's national award winning paintings are all products of inspiration.

"Mostly it's from the people I meet and the stories they tell," Jackson said. "The places I travel to are a huge inspiration as well."

This watercolor, a cathedral in France with a little Arab pilgrim he met in Mexico.

"I've combined subjects from different places and combined them to make something interesting," Jackson said.

Paul's artwork has received more than 30 national awards for his detailed masterpieces. He also created the design for the Missouri Quarter, MU's Tiger Spot. His work has been featured on the cover of magazines, and he's made several trips to the White House.