-My name is Sean Diediker, and I'm a painter.
I've always designed my paintings based on travel and chance.
I love exploring the human condition as I look to find beauty in true, unscripted reality, and then documenting that experience with paint.
I love merging the craft of Old World masters with modern-day media to create and share unique windows into humanity.
Join me as I canvass the world to explore the interplay between art and the human condition -- Every episode a place, every episode a painting.
[ Up-tempo music plays ] [ All singing in native language ] [ Rooster crows ] -I've been living in Ubud for a few months, and after many hits and misses, I finally found a noodle shop I could call my favorite.
I went there at least three times a week.
The faces started becoming familiar, and one in particular -- the flower woman.
She would go from table to table, reach into an old plastic bag, and place slightly withered flowers on the tables of the customers.
Then she would just stand there with her hand open, waiting for patrons to offer her any spare change.
This became a routine for a few weeks, and when the flowers dropped beyond the rim of my soup, I knew it was time to pay up.
My eyes met hers, and we entered into a bit of a staring contest which she won.
I found myself somewhat hypnotized by her image.
No words were exchanged.
It should have been uncomfortable, but it wasn't.
One day, the flowers dropped, and I refused to pay her tax.
But more about that a little later.
[ Birds chirping, rooster crows ] A few weeks after setting up my Bali studio...
I noticed a peculiar construction beginning at the end of my street.
As it began to take shape, I noticed that whatever it was, it had giant feet and out-of-control toenails.
Every day, I pass it on the way to my favorite noodle shop, and I would see the entire village community assisting in the build.
[ Conversing in native language ] My community wasn't alone in this.
These strange constructions started appearing in every community all over town, and as I later learned, all throughout the island.
They're called ogoh-ogohs, specifically designed to be as offensive as possible in order to absorb all the bad juju that might be floating around in the community.
Once completed, they are burned, eliminating all the bad juju that had accumulated over the past year in each village.
Each village gets to show off the weeks and months of hard work on their ogoh-ogohs in a loud but friendly competition the night before the national day of silence.
[ Indistinct conversations ] The name "ogoh-ogoh' is derived from the Balinese oga-oga, meaning to shake.
Many will carry their ogoh-ogoh in the parade, spinning and shaking it to make it look alive.
[ Man shouts, roars ] Villagers circle the ogoh-ogohs with torches, playing instruments, and making as much noise as possible meant to symbolize a duel between the demons and the village.
[ All shouting ] -[ Screams ] [ All shouting ] -And when the parade ends, Bali is met with utter silence, and the new day brings Nyepi, also known as Silent Day.
The entire island closes their stores and roads.
It is a time for all the Balinese to reflect in silence on the past year.
If you're curious about George, you can visit Ubud's sacred Monkey Forest.
This poor guy just lost his mate and can't seem to break away from the grave site.
The older monkeys are much more docile and happy to take a banana right out of your hand.
It's the adolescent monkeys you have to watch out for.
They play dirty, and won't hesitate sucker-punching your kid for a banana.
If you feel the need to take a selfie with a monkey on your head, don't.
My advice -- Enjoy the monkeys from a distance.
Over 90 percent of the Balinese population practices Balinese Hinduism which is a mix of Buddhism, Hinduism.
and animism -- "animism" meaning pretty much that all things have souls.
-Hello.
[ Indistinct conversations ] -The three main Hindu gods that are worshipped are Brahma, the creator, Shiva, the destroyer and Vishnu, the protector.
There are some interesting rules for entering a Balinese temple.
Some are quite obvious, like wearing modest attire, The temples in Bali are, in the truest sense of the word, amazing.
They are dripping with centuries of tradition, beauty, and craftsmanship.
[ Bells ringing ] Religion and ceremonies are an integral part of the Balinese culture and define the lives of most Balinese people.
[ All singing indistinctly ] [ Drums play rhythmically ] [ All chanting in native language ] The Balinese offer many opportunities for visitors to get up close and personal with traditional rituals and re-reenactments.
One of the most popular performances on the island is the Kecak fire dance.
[ Indistinct conversations ] When German artist Walter Spies visited the island in the 1930s, he became enamored with the Kecak ritual and other holy ceremonies.
He worked with an Indonesian dancer to transform the Kecak into a performance, adding stories from ancient Indian epics, creating the Kecak fire dance we know today.
[ All chanting in native language ] Just down the road from my studio was something known as Goa Gajah, or the Elephant Cave.
Built in the 11th century, this significant archaeological gem was only recently unearthed in the 1950s.
The Elephant Cave did not contain petrified elephants as I first imagined it would.
The grounds surrounding the Elephant Cave are full of large fallen mossy Hindu heads, beautiful rivers, dense jungle, and a few rather large eight-legged friends.
So there are spiders here, yes?
-Yes.
-What kind of spiders are there?
-[ Speaking native language ] -Ah, I see.
-Indonesian [Speaking native language] -Are there any in this forest?
I don't want to spoil the surprise, so if you want to know what's inside the cave, you'll just have to visit.
Bali has a strong connection with water, not just geographically but religiously.
The Holy Water Temple in Tampaksiring is a good example of this.
Locals and journeymen can come and cleanse their mind and body in these traditional showers that are said to eliminate all kinds of disease.
At one point back in the ninth century, it's rumored that these life-giving waters even brought an entire army of dead soldiers back to life.
This spring was developed and deemed holy in the year 990.
Fountain of youth?
I don't know.
but that's what they say.
If you're up for a little adventure, why not enjoy a float down the Ayung River?
-[ Speaks foreign language ] -The guides are nothing but professional and will whip you into military shape in no time.
-[ Speaks foreign language ] -They sell it as a lazy float down the river, but I'm sure the people on the raft behind us that completely flipped over and injured the guide would suggest that might be a bit of an understatement.
-Whoo-hoo-hoo!
-Whoo!
-Whoo!
-Ahh!
-Aah!
-Whoo!
-Forward!
-Endless canyons of green jungle and more waterfalls than you can count make a perfect backdrop to discovering the ancient Hindu carvings along the riverbed.
[ Man speaks foreign language ] -Whoo!
-Whoo!
[ Indistinct talking ] -My personal favorite was this little mid-river beer and coconut shack.
You can beach your vessel and top off with fresh fruit and ale before heading back out on the rapids.
-Ahh!
Hoo-hoo!
-But don't underestimate the strength of the Ayung River.
This guy found out the hard way.
Amazing.
Beautiful.
Can't believe it.
Haven't seen anything like it, really.
One of the island's best-known and respected healers is Cokorda Rai.
Marco from our group had been to him before and had an amazing experience.
Ever since that movie came out -- "Sleep, Play, Rub," I think it was called -- a new crop of so-called healers has sprung up to lighten your wallet, and it's getting more and more difficult to find the real deal.
But Cokorda Rai was around long before the resorts and spiritual tourists arrived, so I had to see what this was all about.
Everyone gathers in the waiting room, and he examines you right in front of the group.
Now, the healers and high priestesses in Bali are well-respected and considered by the Balinese to be doctors in every aspect.
Marco got a clean bill of health and required no further maintenance.
But others weren't so fortunate and were asked to lay down while he applied further remedies unique to each individual.
Of course, this begs the question, does it work?
Our executive producer's girlfriend, Nadia, had suffered from severe back pain for over 10 years now.
She decided to give it a go.
Afterwards, I asked her, "So?"
With her face glowing, she said the pain was instantly gone.
Three days later, I asked the same thing, and the back pain had not returned.
Take from that what you will, but I think Nadia is a believer.
After all that healing, one can certainly work up an appetite.
We headed back to my favorite noodle shop where, perhaps, I might see the flower woman.
Back to my experience with the flower woman -- After I refused to pay her flower tax, she politely smiled and moved on to the next table.
Once I had slurped up the last of my noodles, I approached her and offered to pay her a modest sum if she would allow me to take her photo.
She was hesitant at first but agreed if we did it right then and there in the noodle shop.
Instead of stills, I switched my phone to video mode and took only 12 seconds of video.
I wasn't sure what I would use it for, perhaps a starting point for something bigger.
After all, I was going to be in Bali for a few more months, and I was certain I would see her again.
But I didn't.
I'm not sure I can articulate why, but she had an impact on me, and I decided to paint her, not because there was some grand narrative to our connection.
Quite the contrary.
It was the simplicity of our interaction that I enjoyed.
I'm sure she doesn't know it, but she now lives in my living room.
Sometimes when I'm eating at my kitchen table, I'll look up and see her with her flowers, smiling down at me, and I'm reminded that a fleeting encounter can last a lifetime.
-"Canvasing the World" fine art reproductions printed on pearl linen and museum-quality cotton rag are now available.
[ Piano playing ] To order your own fine art reproduction of The Flower Woman or any additions from the "Canvasing the World" television series, please visit CTWgallery.com.
If you'd like more information on the series or a peek at what's currently on Sean's canvas, you can follow "Canvasing the World" on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, or visit us at canvasingtheworld.tv.
[ Men chanting in foreign language ] -One of the challenges of living in Bali when we were filming there was the dogs.
I'm a dog guy.
I love dogs.
I do not love Bali dogs.
Even when we were filming right in front of our place, the dog that sees me every day still comes out and has to have a bark and let me know that he's king.
And good for you, dog.
You're king.
-One of my favorite experiences in filming in Ubud was in the Monkey Forest.
We had time.
I went out with my cameras, and I was just walking around and looking to go to places where there weren't a lot of tourists, just waiting, watching the monkeys.
I would get in the right position where the monkeys were lit from behind, primarily.
You get the nice highlights in the fur.
It's wonderful, in the Monkey Forest, just to watch the monkeys -- how they function, how they collaborate, how they support each other.
I was in this little monkey capsule that allowed me to experience what they were doing, observe what they were doing, and, at the same time, get what I thought was some beautiful imagery.
-When we were living in Ubud, we lived on a Balinese street a little bit outside of town, not with all the Westerners, but it was with the Balinese.
We were the only white folks on the street, and they were very kind to us, always waving.
But my favorite meals that I ever had in Bali were this particular lady, she lived about five houses down from me, and randomly, once or twice a week, she would open the doors, and she would make these fantastic meals, and everyone on the street would come and just pay $1 for some of the best food you ever tasted.
Now, in town, you can pay, you know, Western prices.
This was $1, and it literally was some of the best flavor I've ever had in my life, but in Bali, in particular, to me, it meant a lot because whenever you have the best flavor you've ever had, you know, you remember that.
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