At times it seems there is so little we can do for peace - but let us not give up

 

The need for peace and peace action seems to surface so often in our lives - and yet it seems that there is so little we can do for peace. But we will not give up; we must and we will continue to act for and vibe for peace. 

Today is International Day of Peace (IDP - 21 September each year) - the fact that there is such an international day is a poignant reminder that peace is important and we must never let it go no matter how terrible the opposition to peaceful paths seems at time.

Each year in our home we pause to mark International Day of Peace. We do this in a number of small ways including using our letterpress to print weather grams and cards that can go out across the globe to attempt to create a few peace ripples.

The weather grams at our place again this year are hung in the  magnolia tree out the front of our home. As you can see from the photos below this year's weather grams accompany some of those hanging in from 12 months ago. They also hang with copper peace doves that are a permanent fixture in the tree.

Around the house there are other reminders of peace including a copper peace dove and a stash of older   weather grams that have fluttered to the ground but are gathered to continuing their work of reminding us to remember to vibe for peace.

This year I also made some giveaway peace tokens from melted salvaged metal.

Today, and every day, may we strive to encourage each other to find the ways to peace; and reject the ways of war.

International Day of Peace 2024

 

There is no doubt at all that in so many places and so many corners of the globe we need peace. On 21 September once again we pause for peace - on International Day of Peace we can send vibes out that maybe we can give peace a chance.

This afternoon in preparation for tomorrow Fiona and I installed our peace doves and peace weather grams on the fence and in the plum tree beside our cottage in Scotland. Before we left our Maleny home we installed doves and weathergrams - giving peace a chance at our two homes.

In the opening photo and following are a few images of the peace weather grams and peace doves. At the cottage some of the doves and weather grams are installed on barbed wire - we think the barbed wire symbolises war and unjust and illegal imprisionment.

Tomorrow morning Fiona and I will pause by the fence and tree and consciously send vibes of peace to wherever they are needed - may peace have a chance.

Putting peace in place

This year we will be in Scotland on International Day of Peace (IDP) (21 September). We will hang our weather grams and peace doves at our cottage for IDP. But we also have our weather grams and peace doves hanging in the tree out the front of our Maleny home. Saturday afternoon was a great sunny afternoon to put peace in place on the tree - image of me above and Fiona below.

I liked the fact that some weather grams from previous years are still hanging in there - see below.

And a few more of peace in the tree.

Finishing with a couple of peace images - on Ken's sculpture at the front door and couple of sculptures under the tree.

One cannot have too many shoutouts for peace. This year I chose to print the words "create peace here" meaning peace starts at the local level - between individuals and communities  - and ripples out across the globe.

Installing post and peace

 

My art practice over the last few days has been a bit of a mixed bag. We attached the students etched aluminium plates to the post; installed the post temporarily beside the museum Annex; and hung our peace doves and weather grams for International Peace Day - 21 September..

The Fishers Post

The first part of the blog post is about The Fishers Post. As you can see from the opening photo we dug a hole and planted the post. The post is 1.75m in length and 23cm square - and it is very very heavy.

The plates were attached in the wee shed as it has been raining on and off since Wednesday.

The length of the post was planned as that was the longest post we could get into the van.

We borrowed a sack trolly from a neighbour and after Fiona had backed the van up to the paved area of the Annex we were able to wheel and lug it into place.

We took stones from the five fishing beaches with us so these were used to stabilise the post.

A couple of photos of the installation labourers - the sun shone on the afternoon of the installation.

Installing Peace doves and weather grams

Fiona and I brought some of this year's peace doves and weather grams with us to the cottage. We had salvaged some from 2022. We installed last year's pieces in the wee plum tree; and the 2023 pieces on the barbed wire fence.

Before we travelled to the cottage we had installed some doves and weather grams in the magnolia tree outside our Maleny home - it was good that we could add to that peace energy by installing some at our Armadale home. May we continue to work for peace and kindness - the world surely needs both.

 

Installing peace pieces

 

Each year Fiona and I try to mark International Peace Day by installing peace weathergrams (Fiona) and peace doves (Barry) in a tree or such near our home. This year we will be in Scotland on 21 September so we installed 7 weather grams and seven peace doves in the magnolia tree out the front of our townhouse; and we will install another seven weather grams and doves at the cottage in Scotland tho mark the actual date. 

The opening photo is of Fiona installing one of her weather-grams - "peace by piece". The following some images of the installed weather-grams and peace doves.

Below is a photo of some fragments of weather grams from years past.

May we pause frequently to imagine peace and work for peace.

Peace doves

 

Over the weekend I made a good start on making peace doves to be hung in the tree out the front of our home before we head to Scotland; and then at the cottage on International Day of Peace 21 September. The seven above will go to Scotland.

Process photos follow. The patina is added via an acid solution - but the metal needs to be well cleaned or you tend to get the brownish patina seen on the dove  bottom right. Copper blanks were cut in the guillotine.

If you are into tools the hand shears in the photo below are great for the rough cuts.

Copper offcuts that will go into the furnace.

The final photo shows a slightly closer photo of the melted metal peace 'buttons' that I'm making gradually when I'm in the workshop doing other stuff.