7th Jane Reichhold Memorial Haiga Contest (First Runner-Up, Traditional Category)

I'm so ecstatic! My haiga in the traditional catergory won first runner-up in the Jane Reichhold Memorial Haiga Contest. Thank you so much to the judges, Steve Hodge and Hemapriya Chellappan. Congratulations to all the winners - Julie Schwerin, Julie Bloss Kelsey, Bona Santos/Susan Burch and others.

This haiga by Chrissi Villa presents itself as stomach-turning butterflies, a pounding heart and never-ending nervousness. We don’t know who the “he” is, but we sense a palpable tension. When you’re in love you find yourself unable to think straight, you feel ecstatic, you don’t know what’s next. You don’t think about the future because what could possibly go wrong? But then life happens, and you move on. There is nothing better than reliving those moments with your ex-whomever-it-is. Bittersweet moments maybe before and now but everyday seems like the first time again.

                                                                                                                  -Hemapriya Chellapan

See all the winners and commentaries here.