In April 2008, the winds of change moved me to the Yamun Valley in North India where I experienced Panchakarma for the period of 30 days that change my life and provided the inspiration for this series of paintings.

In the merry month of May 2008, the Muses of chance revealed inspiring images through tales told during a special evening at the Welham Boys School in Dehra Dun that reflect my experiences in North India

While standing on the banks of the Yamuna River in the foothills of the Himalayas, a flock of circling, spiraling Parakeets swirled above the chaotic mountain stream where choruses of bright green, yellow and orange, caught and swept my attention to a realm of harmonious delight.

One evening, brush fires on the ridges of the mountains provided a fix to place the sound of the streaming river where nights fires and Fireflies embroided the dark sky; light creatures rose from the bubbling stream, darted and danced below me in fluid motion. My spirit took flight to join the light of the Yamuna Moon.

A day trip to Rishikesh on the Ganges provided images, impressions and reflections that have significant implications for creative regeneration.

Rishikesh is a place where a strange meeting took place. Standing in wait on a parking lot for shopping pilgrams, eye contact was made with a person wearing a weathered maroon body drape, gold rimmed glasses not unlike my own, sandals, and carrying a long walking stick, approached me and gave me his hand in geeting, nodded, smiled and passed me on my right. I turned to look again as he turned, nodded and smiled again, disappearing into the crowd.

We crossed the footbridge over the Ganges River to the other side of town, with hundreds of pilgrams, shoppers, scooters and a holy cow and in the below a swirl of large fish spiraled, just below the surface of the murky green-grey water.

On the concrete river bank a blue boat waited. A stop over in Haridwar, a festival of lights drew my fellow to experience the nightle chaos of confusing illuminations, while I witnessed the phenomenon through the reflection on the dark river from a parked taxi.

The return to the quiet of out Yamuna sanctuary, pepared me for an evening that illuminated my "new life". An invitation to visit the Welham Boys School turned out to be an opportunity to demonstrate teh art of tempera painting. A roll of canvas was presented and unfurled for me to dance a painting "Ballad for North India"

During the course of an evening as a guest at Welham Boys School revalations were made that inspire me to return to take up an invitation to be artist in resdidence. Myths and legends narrated by my hosts that evoke ancient deposits of human reflection have found their way into these paintings.