A Durham artist sent off a group of Buddhist Monks from Raleigh by showing them a painting he did of their Walk For Peace.

Robert Mihaly said he first came across Buddhist monks with Walk For Peace as they were passing through North Carolina in High Point last week.

When he returned to Durham, he began working on a painting to show his gratitude.

“People would hand them flowers as they walk by,”  Mihaly said. “That’s my territory; those instant moments of beauty.”

The monk’s travels through our state are part of a 2,000-mile procession from Texas to Washington, D.C. They have captured the attention of many North Carolinians along the way.

On Saturday, the Monks walked from Apex to Raleigh where they spoke to a crowd of thousands at the State Capitol. Meanwhile, Mihaly was putting the finishing touches on his painting in a cold studio space in Hillsborough. He was determined to show his appreciation for their journey before they reached their stop in Wake Forest Sunday.

Mihaly joined the crowd waiting along the monks’ route that morning despite the icy conditions.

“I brought my wet painting,” Mihaly said. “It was completely wet, you could just smear it like icing.”

Mihaly said the risk was worth it for the moment of recognition.

“I was really just hoping for a nod or a smile,” Mihaly said. “I would have been thrilled with that, but they just started smiling and laughing, and their eyes lit up. They came up one at a time and hugged me,”

The painting was too big for the monks to take the painting–but they took pictures with it and chatted with Mihaly. A clip of Mihaly, his painting and the monks was featured in a video on the Walk For Peace Facebook page thanking people who met them on day 92 of their trek.

“We are so deeply grateful. In the midst of such harsh weather, we felt the warmth of your hearts. Your presence, your kindness, your willingness to brave the cold to offer support—this touched us profoundly,” the post on Walk For Peace said.

Mihaly plans to display the painting at his next art sale on Friday in Hillsborough.

Mihaly said eventually someone will buy it, and he’s OK with that, knowing he can inspire others like the monks.