Confronting your essence and challenging your very existence. Inhale and exhale. Cold. Extreme effort and extreme beauty are all around and inside me. I purge anything that is unneeded and connect to the power of the source. My interest and love for mountains led me to the highest mountains in the world, so I joined the first Croatian women’s climbing expedition to Cho Oyu, an 8201m high Himalayan peak and the world’s sixth highest mountain peak. What do the Himalayas mean to me? Is it “simply” an alpinist accomplishment or the climb of my life? I often get the question: How was it for you in the Himalayas, that snow, ice and thin air? First of all, for someone who has not experienced it, it is challenging to imagine and articulate. The phrase “very difficult and extremely wonderful” is most accurate. Anyhow, it’s been a journey that has profoundly influenced my life. Pushing my physical limitations has never been tough for me; I enjoy competing with myself and questioning myself in numerous aspects of life. And in every difficult circumstance, I search for spiritual fortitude and opportunity for growth. On the expedition, there were many opportunities to set new goals and push barriers by connecting with my inner strength. Since I am an introvert at heart, I value isolation greatly, whether it be in the studio or out in the woods or on a mountain. Alpinism is a very introverted activity; regardless of how close you are to your climbing partner, the majority of your performance and your own life is dependent on you – your judgment, strength, patience, willpower… In the Himalayas, I had to confront myself and my own limits, as well as my own willpower. These are instances in which a man bares himself to his essence, rejects all that has been tied to him in life, and confronts his core. It is both terribly demanding and extremely beautiful. Our spirit just “drives” the body, which is merely a “vehicle”… And, if our spirit guides us there, it will take us through the most diversified settings. Therefore, the physical exertion of the excursion only helped me to understand and know myself more fully. I felt isolated off from society and the outer world. I admired the extraordinarily blue sky and the snow’s never-ending whiteness. Millions of stars could be seen in the bright evenings’ sky, but due to the bitter cold, I only gave them a fleeting glance before crawling into a thick sleeping bag, where the cold would warmly welcome and embrace me. I came to see how little I actually need and how much joy nature brings me. Since the Himalayas provided me with such purity and peace, my return to civilization following the expedition came as something of a shock. Looking for the Himalayan tranquility, purity of soul, and power, I constantly return to the Himalayas as a painting motif. Because painting is my teleportation device, instantaneously transporting me to the situation I’m painting, I entirely surrender to it and feel everything it delivers.