Photos from Mongolia (inside and out)

My new book, STAND ON THE SKY, takes place in a Kazakh nomad community in Western Mongolia. The countryside, wedged between the Gobi desert and the high Altai mountains, is stark and beautiful -- and perhaps in reaction, the Kazakh built world is absolutely jammed with color.

On the outside, Kazakh homes -- yurt-like tents called gers -- are plain canvas, but inside everything is colourful and patterned. The walls are covered with hand-embroidered panel -- a Kazakh woman will make one every winter. The tablecloth had flowers. The bowls were bright red and bright green and gold. The floor was turquoise linoleum. More was more and it was beautiful.

All Mongolian pics are by Seanan Forbes, writer, photographer, traveller, teaching artist. The grants that sent me to Mongolia came from the Canada Council and Region of Waterloo Arts Fund.