Painting in front of Everest was one of the highlights of my journey. I used a sketchbook made of Lokta paper (traditional Nepali paper), painted on the snow, and added earth from the place. During the final stretch to Everest Base Camp, heavy snowfall forced us to wait several days for the skies to clear. The moment Everest finally appeared beneath a sapphire-blue sky was magical.
I drew the lama while he was praying at the Monkey Temple (Kathmandu). He became interested in the drawing and happily signed it when he saw it.
Photography was not allowed inside the Tengboche monastery, so I decided to capture the monks praying and playing instruments by drawing them instead. They invited me to sit next to the instruments and rewarded me with the same butter tea they were drinking. I added a few drops to the page to paint the yellow hats. Drawing while surrounded by the immersive sound of the trumpets was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Women wear flower ornaments in their hair during the Dashain festival.
I got the Tika blessing (vermilion paste on the forehead) in my watercolor of the Dashain festival at Durbar Square.
