SLOAT SHAW

It was the second time that a reknown Buddhist asked me to explain how I create my paintings.

Half of our group weren't able to finish the trek to Mt. Kailash. My roommate developed severe  altitude sickness and nearly died. From 4:30 AM until 10 PM, I stayed with her as we pushed  toward shelter, watching her fade as we crossed heartbreakingly beautiful land. She forgot how  to button her coat, how to drink water.

I traveled to Ladakh, India, in the Himalayas—on the opposite side of the mountains from where I had previously trekked to Mt. Kailash in Tibet. There, I spent time with Rinpoche Guge Gyabung Tulko, who is recognized as the teacher of the Dalai Lama from a past incarnation. The current Dalai Lama found him in Lhasa when he was just five years old, and he was raised in a monastery from that time on. Rinpoche generously welcomed us into his life.