Phobjikha, Bhutan

In 2004, we had just moved back to Canberra from Sydney, I’d had my first baby and a Bhutanese couple Dechen Dorji and Tandy Dorji moved into the granny flat next door. They were here on post graduate scholarship from Bhutan and we made friends. It was sad when they left, but we hoped to see them again and we did, when a couple of years later, they moved back with their family to the granny flat next door (the other next door). By then we had three children and they had two. The kids were constantly back and forth between houses until they moved back to Bhutan again. In 2014, we went to visit them in Bhutan and Dechen took us to Pobjikah Valley, the subject of this painting.

Now Dechen is buying her first house in Australia and I thought she might like a painting as a housewarming present to remind her of her other home and our shared experiences. Dechen you are a remarkable woman and doing this painting for you gave me much joy and pleasure in a difficult week.