With bloodlines we see the artist’s stunning rendering of form and abstract. The different brushstrokes allow us to enter into that red thread that connects all things in life and death. The interplay between the art and the senryu resonates on multiple levels, and the hand calligraphy adds another layer. I encourage all who practice haiga to explore adding their own handwriting on artworks.

Back to beginnings is very minimal, but nothing is lost—the large amounts of white space adds much to the composition. The poet has taken us once again into a contemplative space and a moment of reflection. As words fade, so too must our own lives, we realize, as is the way of all things.

With the threading cord we are again taken on the poet’s highly evolved journey into self—the connections, the breaks, and the grief we feel in our own lives. So much is implied with “a wounded heart.” As with all fine creative works, this haiga feels deeply cosmic, with a oneness that rings true. We feel that something has opened in us, has been allowed to come through.

lifting out of myself, is as uplifting as the birds in full flight. Once again, the minimal wet-on-wet watercolour evokes a feeling of transcendence and hope. The one-liner beautifully anchors the haiga with a deeply personal journey into a wide open sky.