I call this "Reclining Lady" - at least for the time being. I love finding natural pieces of nature that seem as if they've been sculpted.

I don't know what it is about this photograph (which I took on a Seattle street), but it fascinates me.

This is one of my favourite water colour paintings of my own. There is a mistake in the painting, which I can rectify, but prefer to let be. Surprisingly, nobody who has seen this painting has noticed it.. LOL

My beloved Brownie in his puppyhood days.

I won't call this a sketch, it's more like painting with my pencil. I loved doing her eyes, especially.

The Moon and Her Reflection

The Moon traversing

The vast dark sky – alone

In her own world

Chanced upon her own vision

Reflected on the cloudy face

Of a pond –

In wonder, for she knew not

Who this beauteous apparition was,

The Moon asked of her own reflection:

O beautiful one, who are you?

Why are you so beautiful?

Her reflection replied:

O Moon, I am you

I am beautiful, because you are beautiful.

-by Rita Putatunda

HOLI HAI!

The moon is a disk..round and full..in the scented sky...

It’s the eve of Holi…

Bonfires are burning…orange-red tongues of fire...leap in the smoky air

Crackling sparks fly like red hot stars into the night

Bald brown coconuts are roasting...turning black

Holika is burning in the fizzing hissing spitting twigs and leaves

Sooty hot pulp is extracted and eaten from

Smouldering shells… tasting sweet and nutty

And Madana is incinerated by the smouldering fires

Of Shiva's wrathful eye…

The sacred black ash smeared on laughing faces milling around

When the dawn colours the sky pink.. on the morrow

Dark skinned Krishna comes out to play

He aims his playful pichkari

On his beloved Radha's fair face

Turning her radiant as a blooming marigold

And the forests of Brindavan

Resound with the peals of laughter

Of gopis as they sing dance and rejoice

In the clouds of gulal their Lord flings at them

Neighbourhoods erupt in play

Narrow lanes and streets are filled..With

riotous people going wild..Yelling..Holi Hai!

Throwing smearing flinging spraying colour

On each other…Until everyone is a mish-mash of laughing hues…And

one neighbour cannot recognize another…

Hands faces hair clothes turn…pink green orange purple,,,The riotous

joyous colours of Holi..

And everyone shouts, Holi Hai!

Winter is gone…The hills and plains are swept by warm winds

It’s Holi! The festival of colour! The festival of joy!

It’s the festival of Spring! It’s the festival of gladness…!

The festival of dazzling madness...!

It’s the festival of renewals rebirths rejoicings…!

Saffron coloured jalebis dripping with sugar syrup

Are eaten by the platefulls…!

Intoxicating bhang is gulped by the glassfulls…!

Gujjias stuffed with cardamom flavoured khoya and coconut

Are devoured…by the mouthfulls…!

Pedhas gulab-jamuns and halwas

Are savoured…by the fistfulls…!

The trees are clad in new green leaves

Where birds are chirping singing…

Insects are birthing crawling

Flowers are bursting in myriad bloom

The air is redolent with their perfume

The mango tree is in bud

Soon the branches will hang low

With ripening fruit

Grapes are sprouting on their vines

Fattening in the toasting sun

Fields are writhing with their harvest

And the Flame of the Forest is in full crimson blossom

And in the forests…And in the trees lining mirthful streets

The koyal is alone, calling to her hidden love...

In a longing voice she says…Coo-oo Coo-oo…

Love is in the air…Oh Heart…! Coo-oo Coo-oo…

Come to me.. Join me.. Merge with me… My Love…! Coo-oo Coo-oo..!

Let us rejoice in bursts of joy merriment and glee… Oh Beloved…! Coo-oo…!

And smear each other with fresh splashes of love’s colours! Coo-oo!

Holi Hai!

-by Rita Putatunda