Chasing Butterflies

Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life.  And everyone deserves a little sunshine.  - Jeffrey Glassberg

As a small girl I always wished to have bright and beautiful wings like a butterfly. I was and still am scared of heights so I had no intentions to fly, but yeah wings with splashed colors – WOW!

I often followed the butterflies and one day found myself lucky enough to catch one of them. So pretty and precious, I held it in my palm. It was sea green in color, no splashes yet vibrant enough to make me happy. After a while of watching and speaking to the colorful moth, I thought of setting it free. I kept it on the table but it just didn't move. I blew air into the wings but it was too late, it still didn't move. I asked my mother for help. She being the wiser one, sobered me down and explained me the frail structure behind the beautiful creature. Its not one of my best childhood memories, but surly good enough to give me a lesson that physical appearance can be deceptive and diminishing. I still love chasing butterflies with no intentions of catching them. 

Clicks in this collection come from my visit to Butterfly World. As the name suggests, this park is full of beautiful, colorful and vibrant butterflies. They fly all around the place and if you are lucky enough they wouldn't miss a chance to sit on the palms, shoulders and even heads of the visitors.

A Myscelia Ethusa

Heliconius Erato Notabilis

A Morpho Polyphemus

Heliconius Erato Notabilis on Poinsettia

 

The gorgeous brightly colored Morpho Banded

A Heliconius Ismenius

Heliconius Melpomene Madiera

Caligo Idomenius feeding on bananas

A Catonephele Orites

The Queen Butterfly

A visitor on my palm

 A display of various butterflies

Sculptures

My interest in sculptures comes from travelling and being exposed to multiple cultures. Staying in India my exposure to sculptures primarily came from visiting various devotional places. The second source undoubtedly is my mom. Being in modern arts her areas of interest includes contemporary forms, paintings and sculptures. I grew up in a house full of her art work. My world surely is incomplete without them. Last but not the least, I cannot miss to mention my mom’s department and all her wonderful students and colleagues who have contributed to my little knowledge on this topic.

Several civilizations have used sculptures as an art form to represent various things. Artisans in the past primarily used stone for carving sculptures. Later ceramic, metal, wood and various other materials were also used for carving or modeling purpose. The popular use of sculptures was primarily devotional however with changing times, they were used as a communication tool too. Famous artists known for their sculptures include Michelangelo,  Praxiteles, Pablo Picasso, Phidias etc.

Sculpture of Shiva, one of Indian God

Sculpture of Saint Matthew, Florence

Laocoön and His Sons, Rome

Angelic sculpture on a bridge, Rome

Look at the beautiful Relief form of sculpture on the hallway ceiling of Vatican. Absolutely incredible!

Statue of Liberty, New York

The Statue of Liberty enlightening the world was a gift of friendship from France to  the United States as a symbol of freedom and democracy.

Relief form of sculpture from Ramayana, India

Ice sculpture, Lake Geneva, IL

Sculpture of Surya or Sun, New Delhi

Indian Goddess Sita at Sitamarhi, India

Sculpture of Andrew Jackson, New Orleans

Ancient Roman allegory of Tiber River, Rome

The twins Romulus and Remus, mythical founders of Rome, who were saved from Tiber's waters, play in the left corner with the she-wolf that fed them.

David by Michelangelo, Florence

David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture made by Michelangelo housed in Florence, Italy.

The Ponte Sant'Angelo, Rome

Pietà by Michelangelo

This is a famous sculpture housed in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City depicting the body of Jesus on the lap of Mary after crucifixion.

This is an unknown sculpture to me however looking at it I caption it as - I'm scared to close my eyes. I'm scared to open them

Sculpture of Marilyn Monroe, Chicago

Sculpture of Goddess Sita at Sita samahit sthala, Sitamarhi

Trees and I

My love for clicking pictures of trees and flowers comes from genetics. Both my parents have special passion for plants – both professionally and personally. My dad is a professor of Botany and my mom specializes in modern art with a deep interest in painting human emotions through trees. To lead the baton – I click !
Trees to me symbolize many things at the same time. Like my mom, I see forms and emotions in them. To me they represent humility to bow down and share, compassion to hold anyone and everyone without discretion,  determination and flexibility to sustain dramatic up’s and down’s of weather and have new beginnings. Beyond all they are great company to beautify lives and feel enriched.
 

The Graceful and Colorful Fall

Spreading sunshine 

The Beautiful Pine trees of Dhanaulti

A veiled bride

Deserted and flourishing

The Brilliant Orange Oak

Community of Trees

Layered Dressing

Ornamented

A Lovely Magnolia Tree

Enjoying fine evening

Maple and Fall

Heart broken

Berried

Glorious

Make a Wish

As the title suggest this post includes my collection of make a wish deals. Ever wondered how and why did the saying of ‘make a wish’ got associated with some objects around us? If you think this is the place for your answer, well I am sure I can’t help you overcome these delusions. I personally love looking around for these small treasures that give a moment of thrill to people wishing and hoping their dreams may come true by doing gestures like – throwing coins in water bodies, tying knots, or as simple as blowing off candles from cakes.

The small pleasures of both child and adulthood!

A Wishing Well

This is a click from the wishing well at Luray Caverns. Look at the heaps of coins and even dollars lying in the green pond. Guess what, the grand total recovered from the pool till date is $897,933.32.

Locks - Wishing love for Couples

Floating Diya at Sangam

Floating Diya in River Ganga or Deep daan is wishing knowledge (light) to take over the ignorance (darkness) – तमसो माँ ज्योतिर्गमय

Some unfulfilled wishes

Some coins couldn't make it to the pond and were stuck on the leaves of lotus.

Creatures for Luck - Turtles

Wisdom, strength, symbol of God, good luck and what not, turtles symbolizes different thing in different cultures.

More Locks, more love, more wishes!

Rubbing the snout of this Pig is wishing to visit the city of Florence again.

Bamboo Plant at Home

Planting bamboo in Feng Shui is wishing for good luck and fortune.

Mata kee Chundari

In India, tying red clothes or threads is wishing for blessing, happiness and health from Shakti or Mother Goddess

Cake and Candles

This post will be incomplete without mentioning candles on birthday and anniversary cakes.