Picturesque Goa

Picturesque Goa
NOSTALGIA - Articles,Poems & Photos

TONFERNS CREATIONS

TONFERNS CREATIONS
TONFERNS CREATIONS - Tony's Art & Hobbies

Sunday, January 29, 2023

Legendary Mayor of Mississauga Hazel McCallion passes away

 











We are very saddened to hear that the erstwhile Mayor of Mississauga Hazel McCallion has passed away early this morning.

The closest that my wife Edna and I got to see her was when the wonderful Mayor visited Edna's Pickles booth at the International Home Show held in the year 2005 at the International Centre in Mississauga where I presented her with my book "GOA - Memories of My Homeland (Poems and Stories)". The Mayor accepted the book and while she held it in her hand, she smiled and said: "Thank you for the book. I know Goa. I will read it".

Mississauga has lost a great, legendary and iconic leader. 

Friday, January 27, 2023

Miscellaneous Crafts


 


















Miscellaneous Crafts by Tony Fernandes (TonFerns Creations).
Top to Bottom. Left row: Motorcycle with Side-car 10” long,
Miniature Keg, Home Decor: 1/4 inch plywood Yacht.
Middle Row: Clay Crucifix 24”x12”, Pyrography
(Wood-burning) Behold the Man’ 10”x8”.
Right Row: Home Decor: Shelf clock,
Birdie Num Num - Pyrography, Miniature ‘Bedford’ Truck.

Thursday, January 26, 2023

Sunset from my window


….and then, just now, after nearly 2 days of snow, and as if nothing has happened, the clouds seem to drift away and let the sun peek through and bid adieu, hopefully for better day tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Memories of another era

 
















Memórias de Meados dos Anos 1950

Escola Primaria, 

Primeiro Grau,

Segundo Grau 

& Aula Portuguesa

Viva GOA.

Saturday, January 14, 2023

Line Art - Things of Goa

 











A sampling of my Line Art from my book ‘A LINE IN TIME’ with descriptions and write-up.

Top row from left to right: Rocking chair (a.k.a. ‘Plantation Chair), Ghumott (Drum), Volter.

Bottom row: Gunnsunno (Granite Spice grinder), Gurguret (Clay Water Dispenser), Bamboo Basket.

Sunday, January 08, 2023

Oil Painting by Tonferns

Oil Paintings by Tony Fernandes, 

Top: “Khasab Castle”, Size: 19” x  29" Circa 1985.

(Khasab Castle, Musandan Peninsula - North Oman, a picturesque stronghold situated on the inner cove of Khasab Bay, was built in the 17th century by Portuguese explorers in their quest for seeking control over regional maritime trade).

Bottom: “Windtowers of Dubai” (Dubai Creek 1970) Size 3ft x 2ft - View of Bur Dubai from my window in Ras Deira where I lived. In the painting: Front: Traditional Dhow berthed along Dubai Creek. Across the creek: Left to right: Customs House, Ruler's Office, National Bank of Dubai. Backdrop: wind-towers of Bastakiya Quarter, Mosque Minaret, Green building - one of the first multi-storey apartments building, Dubai - United Arab Emirates.

Flanked left and right: “Old Spanish Town”, Size: 15” x 12” Oil pastels (Goa, 1962) Age: 15.



Friday, January 06, 2023

Artaban - The Fourth King




















The story is an addition and expansion of the "The Fourth King” - a short novel or long short story by Henry van Dyke. It was initially published in 1895 and has been reprinted many times since then.

The story is an addition and expansion of the account of the Biblical Magi, recounted in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It tells about a "fourth" wise man (accepting the tradition that the Magi numbered three), a priest of the Magi named Artaban, one of the Medes from Persia. Like the other Magi, he sees signs in the heavens proclaiming that a King has been born among the Jews. Like them, he sets out to see the newborn ruler, carrying treasures to give as gifts to the child - a sapphire, a ruby, and a "pearl of great price". However, he stops along the way to help a dying man, which makes him late to meet with the caravan of the other three wise men. Because he missed the caravan, and he can't cross the desert with only a horse, he is forced to sell one of his treasures in order to buy the camels and supplies necessary for the trip. He then commences his journey but arrives in Bethlehem too late to see the child, whose parents have fled to Egypt. He saves the life of a child at the price of another of his treasures.
He then travels to Egypt and to many other countries, searching for Jesus for many years and performing acts of charity along the way. After 33 years, Artaban is still a pilgrim, and a seeker after light. Artaban arrives in Jerusalem just in time for the crucifixion of Jesus. He spends his last treasure, the pearl, to ransom a young woman from being sold into slavery. He is then struck in the head by a falling roof tile and is about to die, having failed in his quest to find Jesus, but having done much good through charitable works. A voice tells him "Verily I say unto thee, inasmuch as thou hast done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, thou hast done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40)[4] He dies in a calm radiance of wonder and joy. His treasures were accepted, and the Other Wise Man found his King. - Wikipedia.

Moral of the Story:
Artaban, the fourth Wise Man, had been making God present in his community for years by helping others. God asks each of us on the feast of
Epiphany to be a fourth Wise Man by becoming God’s epiphanies, making His love present in the world around us by our acts of love and kindness.

I first heard story while I was in Goa on a vacation in 2005. The priest had included it in his homily on Epiphany at the Chapel of St.Joseph, Mapusa, Goa, India. Artaban, the fourth Wise Man, had been making God present in his community for years by helping others. God asks each of us on the feast of Epiphany to be a fourth Wise Man by becoming God’s epiphanies, making His love present in the world around us by our acts of love and kindness. Artaban learned that by helping others he was actually helping Christ. It was Our Lord who Artaban found sick on the road when he gave him the sapphire to buy medicine. It was Christ as the poor baby who Artaban saved by parting with his ruby.