The first blush of love or the blush of first love? (a bit darker than I wanted :) ) : Acrylics on paper.

The Imperfect Circle with colored windows - Acrylic on Paper.

There is something about the letter ‘O’ or circular/elliptical shapes in general  - the shape seems to be the common thread across disciplines like Mathematics, Architecture and the metaphors like ‘circle of life’… the shape a drop assumes when it lands on a surface…the shape of earth…it is self-contained, the circular shape, it seems enclosed and does not lose it’s identity when distorted or broken.It persevers and is comforting, with no sharp edges and yet a uniqueness all of it’s own.

Are capital letters really needed? What do you think? : Black, Pink Ink on paper - Excerpt from Strata by Terry Pratchett.

Are capital letters really needed, I wonder? In Hindi and punjabi and all other Indian languages that I know of, there is no concept of capital or small letters - but then again there are other differences between the indian scripts and the latin ones. So, tried this piece without any capital letters for beginning the sentences or for proper nouns. Is it just habit then, that this looks strange or do capitals actually help in case of English, I still wonder :).

Love behind bars - ebbs or flows? - Acrylics (with palette knife) on Paper 

“NO” - Acrylic with palette knife on paper

Colors of Love! Acrylics with a pen knife on paper…first one with a pen knife, yey!!

“Careless”… Blue Ink, Red markers on paper.

“If Only” - Finer Tip Marker on paper.

Even though the day brought hailstones instead of sunshine here…the grass in the park around the corner looked lush green with bursts of colors where the flowers bloom. This one is to the spring that sneaked in stealthily, while the sun was hiding behind the clouds and we were complaining about the weather - To life and new beginnings!

Fiber tip Markers and fineliners on paper.

Footsteps of spring: Fiber Tip markers on paper

“I thought, no, heard the footsteps of spring.” - for the deceiving warm week before the snowy and chilly past few weeks.

Main taan peeni ae: Ink, Black fiber tip marker on paper.

Two versions of the same piece.

The lyrics are taken from one of my recent favorite songs by Wadali Brothers - Main taan peeni ae 

Below are the lyrics with my amateurish efforts at translation:

Aj sajna tera na(am) lai ke, tainu kol bitha ke peeni e,

Today, I shall drink to your name, with you next to me, I shall drink

Aj botal wali nahi peeni, aj nain mila ke peeni e,

Today, I shall not drink the wine from the bottle; today, I shall drink from your eyes

Oh peeni vi ki peeni e, jehdi aj peeti, kal leh javey,

What use is that drink, which intoxicates me today and wears off tomorrow, 

Aj aisi kuch madhoshi de, jehdi umar bhar(aan) layi reh javey

Give me such a high today, that it lasts for a lifetime,

aj paimane vich nahi peeni, aj jaam luta ke peeni e,

Today, I shall not drink from a chalice,today, I shall drink with abandon.

“You must believe.” - Red calligraphy fiber-tip pen with a shadow drop.

This is for myself :) and for whoever else might need it!

Beautiful Poem by Rumi: Pink Ink , Blue Ink+White Gouache on paper

“What you see lies in the mirror,

though it’s your own, and not the mirror’s,

The breath that’s blown within the flute,

Who owns it, the flute or you?”

Translation taken from: 

The Illustrated Rumi: A Treasury of Wisdom from the Poet of the Soul

Philip Dunn (Author), Manuela M. Dunn (Author), R.A.Nicholson (Author)