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Acrylic Still Life

By Kieran
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 My First Acrylic Artwork Original artwork and acrylic on canvas painting by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2026, my first work in Acrylics which was quite a change from the one-a-day watercolor I am used to, but fun all the same Br Mickey had no idea what he was getting me into when we met last week I helped the acclaimed artist paint a mural as I soaked in his technique Acrylics and Watercolors are distinct as cheese from chalk, I acknowledge  Tis said, true wisdom lies in recognizing the limits of one's own knowledge I learned the importance of putting primer on the canvas and letting it dry Then slowly adding color wash layer by layer till it matches the mind's eye Excepting that it never really does - so one sorta improvises as one goes along Unlearning what one once held to be true, replacing it with what doesn't go wrong Acrylics are way more forgiving that watecolors as one can paint light over dark Smoothing out the uneven borders or blotting out unsightly smudges is quite a...
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Dhoros

By Kieran
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 Rustic life in Dhoros   Original artwork and poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2026, remembering our 2017 holiday The charming village of Dhoros tucked in the quaint Trodoos mountain range Was our inspired holiday destination for two odd weeks of heavenly change Of traditional Cypriot life surrounded by vineyards a thousand years old Narrow winding cobbled streets with old stone houses and of stories untold The 600-year-old Church of Panagia Galaktotrofousasv is their joy and pride So too breathtaking views of almond orchards and vineyards along the hillside We arived shortly after the grape harvest to find raisins drying in the sun This region makes Camandaria, the world famous dessert wine loved by everyone  But it’s the age-old traditional hospitality that grips and stirs your soul When you stop by the local kafeneio for a glass of Zivania to make you whole At dusk all the villagers comes to the town square to intermingle and socialize How about backgammon over coffee or g...
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Adrift no longer

By Kieran
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 Adrift no longer... Loose watercolor painting and short poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2026, today I just felt like something quick and breezy If at times you find yourself treading deep water, seemingly adrift at sea Stop worrying about things out of your control; take baby steps to be free A rudderless boat left to the whims of the currents will end in a quagmire Weigh your options 'n take decisive action; course correct if it misfires
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Conch

By Kieran
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 Lessons of a Queen Conch   Original artwork and pensive ode to the Queen Conch by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2026, inspired by how a insignificant gastropod can be the architect of such a breath-taking handiwork Behold the humble conch, an exquisite work of art, a true labor of love. leaves you in awe of the conch, its humble creator and a loving God above! The conch made of calcium carbonate  grows in spirals - how very prescient The pinkish hues comes from a diet of sea grass which seems quite sufficient Gastropods are but large sea snails that continually grow along with the shell. Once inside, it shuts the operculum, a claw-like door, for it in safety to dwell As a team leader one would be quite mad to select a snail as an artist And in the hands of our loving Heavenly Creator this unlikely snail is stardust If God made a snail to do such marvels, stop and think what he made you to do? Generously endowed with time, intelligence and a freewill - he left it up to you!
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Redwoods

By Kieran
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 Ode to the Coast Redwoods of California Original artwork of a hillside cabin surrounded by Redwoods and an original ode by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2026, inspired by the gargantuan Sequoia sempervirens native to California, we have 3 of these giants in our backyard The Coast Sequoia Redwoods are giants of the forest, standing over 300 feet tall A marvel of nature that started life around the time of Julius Caesar's footfall Their 12-inch thick reddish fibrous bark is insect, disease and fire resistant Cyclical forest fires burn everything, trigger sprouting of cones into existence The new seedlings grow only in high fire ash content too toxic for competing trees Providing a headstart over the competition; redwoods can drink water from the breeze  But here's the most surprsing part of these giants - they grow only in clusters With shallow intertwining roots less than two meters deep they become blockbusters
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Mural of Love and Hope

By Kieran
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 Mural of Love and Hope Short video of the completed mural Mural by Br Mickey and original ode by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2026, inspired by the chance to work side by side with him on a 12'x7' mural at St Simon's Catholic Church, Los Altos, California as part of a 3-day Lenten retreat. Brother Mickey O’Neill McGrath, OSFS, an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales, is an award-winning artist, author, and storyteller. You can see his works at https://www.bromickeymcgrath.com/   Br Mickey holding my painting I holding his book     It's not very often that a renowned artist comes to town, but miracles do happen, you know I got a one-in-a-million chance to work side by side with Br Mickey who put on quite a show He has the unique gift of bringing together communities through the medium of public art Large colorful murals with local symbols and colours that come straight from the heart For over 30 years, his magic has rejuvenated all sorts of people in different communities The brok...
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Foray into Art

By Kieran
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 My unlikely foray into art   Original artwork and autobiographical poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2026, dedicated to my mentor Tushar Manohar Shetty who believes everyone has innate artistic talents but few develop them. His elegant solution is one-art-a-day just for the sheer joy of it As I was strolling through a flea market one dappled Saturday morn A beguiling siren call came from a charming paint box dented and worn It was the assortment of dried paint tubes that really clinched it for me Tubes of Payne’s Grey, Quinacridone Rose, Phthalo Green - quaint to see Curious, I picked up the paints as if listening to their secret tales I spied paint brushes in chamois leather and pondered the details  ‘My wife was an artist’, he said wistfully, ‘a damn good one too! It’s yours if you want it, something tells me it was meant for you’ Suddenly the sage words of my mentor flashed through my mind ‘All are artists, start painting one-a-day, ‘n your groove you’ll find’ ‘Don’t overt...
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