Picturesque Goa

Picturesque Goa
NOSTALGIA - Articles,Poems & Photos

TONFERNS CREATIONS

TONFERNS CREATIONS
TONFERNS CREATIONS - Tony's Art & Hobbies

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Photo Transfer


The Frontenac County Court House


Photo transfer on pine oval. The Frontenac County Court House in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is a National Historic Site of Canada. It is a large, limestone court house, built in the mid-19th century in the Neoclassical style. It is located in a downtown residential area of 19th-century homes, adjacent to Queen’s University, in the city of Kingston. Photo by Tony Fernandes.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Photo transfer and pyrography


'Canada 150' Commemorative Keepsake Box
with Image Transfer and pyrogravured
maple leaves by Tony Fernandes.
Measurements L.6.75" x W 4" x Overall Ht.5.5" Arched Top.

Friday, June 16, 2017

Remembering my Dad on 'Father's Day'


Remembering my Dad on ‘Father’s Day’.

I remember my father had taken me everywhere during my school holidays, visiting new places to see and explore, to the beach, to the market place every day to buy fresh fish and groceries, to my favourite restaurant in town for ice-cream, to the nearby hills for walks and to pluck 'canttam' and 'cashew apples', to the lakes and springs for picnics, and to nearby rivers for a swim.



My father had made for me my very own first mini catapult (Konkani: 'robond'). He had also taken me fishing to the salt-water river, to watch football games in the nearby town, and to distant places visiting friends and relatives, by bus, taxi and ferry, all of which I had enjoyed immensely.

I remember my father had also taken me along when he had gone to meet the Capuchin Friars at my school, nestled high up on the hill of Monte de Guirim, Bardez, Goa, among the verdant surroundings. On our way back we had stopped to pluck ripe cashews from the trees that grew on the slopes of the hill. It had been a great fun-filled day although the climb was very tiring. We had made a brief stop at the shop down the hill for a soda, a real thirst-quencher. They had walked back home on the winding path through our picturesque village. Many people seemed to have known him as he greeted them along the way. He also waved out to the people who worked in the fields. "My Dad knows everybody”, I had thought. I still miss him and his humble ways.




Thursday, June 15, 2017

Photo Transfer


Murney Tower

Photo transfer on pine size 11"x 8"
Murney Tower is a Martello tower in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Its construction dates to 1846. Officially designated as Murray Tower. Popularly known as Murney Tower, as it was built on Murney Point at MacDonald Park. Photo by Tony Fernandes,

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

St. Anthony & the Lilies

Image result for st. anthony & lilies
St. Anthony & the Lilies

Most images of the Wonder-Worker of Padua depict him holding the Child Jesus and with lilies. Now, it is a part of tradition in Christian art to use lilies as a symbol of purity when portraying Our Lady or the Saints and even Angels.

With Saint Anthony lilies have special significance. Lilies are in bloom around much of the world in the month of June, the month of his Feast Day [the 13th]. Of even more import there are two incidents hundreds of years old relating to the Saint of Padua and these magnificent flowers:

In 1680, on June 13, in the church at Mentosca d'Agesco in Austria, someone placed a cut lily in the hand of his statue. For an entire year the lily remained fragrant and fully alive, without wilting. Then the following year it grew two more blooms, so that the church was filled with the fragrance of the flowers.

A little over a century later, during the anti-clerical, anti-Catholic French Revolution, on the island of Corsica, the Franciscans were forced to leave their parishioners. The people refused to give up their devotions although they had no choice in the matter of the Sacraments because they had no priests. They invoked the intercession of Saint Anthony. On June 13 they erected a shrine to the Saint in the deserted church; the shrine included lilies in his honor. Months later the blooms were still fresh as if they had just been placed there.

Permission to bless lilies in honor of the Saint was given by Pope Leo XIII. Many favors have been granted through this devotion, such as help to the sick who have been touched by the petals of the blessed flowers. The Church holds that these blessed flowers are sacramentals, and even when dried and faded they are holy, like the palm fronds we receive on Palm Sunday. In fact, what is called "St. Anthony's Oil" is the extract from pressing the blessed blooms.

Traditionally, the public blessing by a cleric of the lilies for a shrine dedicated to Saint Anthony or simply his statue is on June 13. It is permitted, though, at other times to have a priest bless lilies to place before his image. Any person can ask a priest to do so.

The reason why this Franciscan Saint is often pictured with a book along with the Infant Jesus, as he is above, is that when the Child JESUS appeared to St.Anthony, the Saint happened to be reading a book and as he was reading the Christ Child appeared on the Saint's arm and spoke to him because the Words which Saint Anthony was reading caused the Saint to become enraptured and thereupon the Child Jesus appeared on his arm and spoke so lovingly to him.

When he is portrayed alone it is often with a book as well because he is a Doctor of the Church.

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Saint Anthony

St. Anthony of Padua
Today is the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua. He was born in Portugal. He joined the Franciscan Order and was a proficient preacher and teacher in Padua, Italy. He is one of the Catholic Church’s most popular saints. Saint Anthony of Padua is popularly known as the patron saint of lost and stolen articles. He is typically portrayed holding the child Jesus—or a lily—or a book—or all three—in his arms.  Many people give alms to St. Anthony Bread in thanksgiving to God for blessings received through the prayers of St. Anthony.

He is the patron saint of my alma mater, St. Anthony's High School, Monte de Guirim, Bardez, Goa.

Thursday, June 01, 2017

Murney Tower, Kingston, Ontario





Murney Tower

Murney Tower is a Martello tower in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, whose construction dates to January 1846. The Tower was built in response to the Oregon Crisis, which was a tense dispute over the border between British North America and the United States in the 1840s.