Flame of the Forest

 


Flame of the Forest

Original painting and whimsical poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025

'Tis rumoured she's searching for her lost flame perpetually

Just how long has she been there? No one knows actually

Did you catch a glimpse of her as you meandered through the forest? 

When she whispered your name, were you excited or embarrassed?

She scurries like a ghost - now you see her, now you don't ...

Maybe today she will find her lost love, or maybe she won't.

Her memory haunts you long after she has disappeared

And her relentless quest goes on and on, isn't that weird?


Inspiration: The inspiration for this original artwork was a picture of Hawaiian beauty I saw on an album cover.  

I tried one of the fancy art-school techniques to draw a face, but the result was hideous. I went back to free-style sketching her face and surrounded it with a variety of vibrant tropical flowers and plants. 

Once I coloured in the background, it made no sense to colour the face, which then inspired the poem,  I call "The Flame of the Forest". Flame, being a casual term for a lover.

There is a tropical tree called "The Flame of the Forest", or Butea monosperma. It has a striking spray of red blossoms that seems like the canopy of the forest is on fire. We had one such tree opposite our home in Nagpur, which automatically brings back very fond childhood memories for me.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Nice whimsical poem and painting! 🩷 WhatsApp comment from an appreciaive relative)
July 5, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Kieran said…
I had a lot of fun doing it. One never knows where or how it will end
Glad you liked it - Kieran
July 5, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Anonymous said…
I love this (WhatsApp comment from a dear friend)
July 5, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Kieran said…
Ha ha. Yes, the outcome was quite unexpected for me too - Kieran
July 5, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Anonymous said…
🤔👏👏👏 (Emojis on WhatsApp from a good friend)
July 5, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Kieran said…
Head scratcher, right. The poem just came out of the blue, as a lot of my ideas typically do. Wonder what Freud would’ve had to say 😅😂 - Kieran
July 5, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Anonymous said…
Beautiful! (WhatsApp comment from an artistic friend of mine)
July 5, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Kieran said…
I’m loving the less is more idea. The protagonist is just a pen sketch, allowing the viewer to appropriately fill in the details. Glad you liked it - Kieran
July 5, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Anonymous said…
Kieran - you’re fanning the flames in a far-distant memory here - she looks so familiar! Nice work, my friend! (WhatsApp comment from a childhood friend)
July 5, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Kieran said…
Ah my dear friend, names of flames smouldering in the embers
The smile that lights up the face when one suddenly remembers - Kieran
July 5, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Anonymous said…
👍old flames and old socks ..... (WhatsApp comment from a dear friend)
July 5, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Kieran said…
Socks😬?? The plot thickens 😁… tell me more - Kieran
July 5, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Anonymous said…
😅 Sorry, not a correct reference in context ....
....old socks was a reference made to hand me down old flames. (Reply to above comment)..
July 5, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Kieran said…
Ah. Quite appropriate in my whimsical world. I learn something new everyday 😁 - Kieran
July 5, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Anonymous said…
Topical at any age.
Creativity knows no limits. (Comment from a very dear on WhatsApp)
July 5, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Kieran said…
Thank you for being such an appreciative friend. Glad to have you on this journey - Kieran
July 5, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Anonymous said…
Love it ❤️ (WhatsApp comment from a very dear friend in Goa)
July 5, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Kieran said…
I did too. The painting is nothing like the album cover. The flowers and plants were what I associate with Hawaii. The poem jumped out in the end. I wrote about my childhood memories of the tree called Flame of the Forest at https://kieranart.blogspot.com/2025/07/flame-of-forest.html
- Kieran
July 5, 2025 at 8:49 AM
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