I have lived at Pittalew with Sa-Ard and his beautiful family for several years now and I wouldn’t rather live anywhere else to be honest. I spend most of my time here painting. It is a tranquil and inspirational hideaway set deep in the forest of the mountains. Sa-Ard has taught me how to see colour and my painting has improved significantly. When I am not painting, I am part of the family; looking after their two and a half year-old daughter while Ard is lost in his world of colour and Poo (his wife and best cook in the world, by the way) is magically conjuring up our organic dinner.

I have learnt to speak a little Thai but I speak English to Sompaw (their daughter) so she can learn. Fire (their 11 year-old son) - an artist in the making - will come home from school and we will eat dinner together every night. We might go fishing for our dinner, or buy some freshly made tofu from the local market. The vegetables are taken from the land and collected in a bamboo basket just in time for our meal. Each one has a preventive medicinal purpose.
 
 
I am greeted by Sa-ard and his son before being given a lift to their home in the "yellow truck".