Each of these, were made during the time period January 1998-September 99 on the island of Maui in Hawaii. This period of time was a great time of adjusting to opposites. To wearing light tropical wear tee shirts and rubber Flops. High altitude for sea level. Having spent five years, working on the two large art projects for Tsurphu, we were like new born, faced with joining the western world, making a living, and providing education for a quickly growing three year old in a highly competitive materialistic society. as well as a very busy one.
Island living here means one drives too much, unless one is self sufficient.
Anyway to make a long story short I like to paint birds and flowers on silk using mostly mineral and botanical pigments. Leslie using techniques learned while working in Tibet, was developing these incredibly innovative silk appliques, land , seascapes, as well as portraits. Sonam our son likes to draw paint and make collage. In the late summer of 1999, having logically vowed to stay on Maui for Y2K, His Holiness summoned us to Tsurphu to work on the third giant project for the Monastery. During the month of November we met with Him about setting up this new applique for Tsurphu.