Posting on peace

©2018 Barry Smith - A new patinated peace dove flying for peace in the world

Before heading away from home Fiona and I got to install our peace weather grams and peace doves in recognition of International Peace Day on 21 September. We knew we would not be at home so decided to do the installation on 2 September before the crazy schedule of leaving home took over too much.

Fiona posted on the installation on 2 September - I thought why not give peace a second go and decided to do my post on 7 September.

Some photos of the installation.

©2018 Barry Smith - Blue peace in a blue sky - believe in peace

©2018 Barry Smith - Fiona installing the peace weather grams

©2018 Barry Smith - Hard to do sometimes - but we must continue to believe it is possible

©2018 Barry Smith - Weather-gram and dove with valley background

©2018 Barry Smith - Looking toward the weather-grams and doves from the house

We hope that as folk walk by on the path at the top of the block they might be inspired to think of and imagine and believe in peace.

A fragment of one of Fiona's weather-grams from last year still holding on for peace

©2018 Barry Smith - We can still imagine peace - even fragments of peace

We hope to do a small peace installation in Scotland on-for International Peace Day.

Imagine Peace - International Peace Day

©2017 Barry Smith - 'Peace Tree' at the top mom the block with Peace Weather-grams and Peace Doves

International Peace Day has arrived - another annual opportunity to pause and imagine peace.

This year the world just seems to be in need of a lot more of it to counteract what seems to be an outbreak of mad threats and intolerance.

©2017 Barry Smith - I loved the small new green shoot that is in the foreground of one of
Fiona's Peace Weather-grams - a symbol of hope and small beginnings

At our place on the mountain we will just pause a few times today to wish, hope and imagine peace.

Imagine peace and happiness

This year there is a lovely connection between our Christmas tree and International Peace Day. Some of the peace doves I put up in the tree at the front of the block for International Peace Day (21 September) started to drop to the ground as the copper sheet cut through the twine when they swung in the breeze.  So Fiona and I decided that this year our  minimalist Christmas tree would be decorated with peace doves.

©2015 Barry Smith - A Christmas peace dove

©2015 Barry Smith - Our minimalist Christmas tree with its 9 peace doves.

Wishing all people a happy and peace filled Christmas.

The Peace Tree is complete

Fiona and I put the Peace Tree in place early this morning; but it was this afternoon before I got to attach all the leaves as Fiona and I were in the local library this morning working with children to create a children's Peace Tree. The children's Peace Tree will continue to grow as it will be a school holiday library activity for the coming week.

The photos below show the completed Peace Tree - hard to photograph because of the trees, power lines etc in the background and the dodgy light at the end of the day; but that does not stop the Peace Tree from sending out collective peace vibes.

©2013 Barry Smith - Top of the Peace Tree at sundown

©2013 Barry Smith - Top of the Peace Tree at sundown

©2013 Barry Smith - Top of the Peace Tree from the house as the sun goes down

The Peace Tree was made possible by the united effort and desire from quite a few people both in Australia and overseas. You could scroll through earlier posts on my FaceBook and see some of the Peace Leaves contributed and those who made the leaves. A big thank you to those who helped create this tree.

I hope that the creation of this Peace Tree might just send a few ripples of peace into the world. This tree adds to the energy that of the Flags for Peace Project coordinated by Mary Jane. The Flags for Peace Project was the inspiration for the Peace Tree.

Peace Tree nears completion

Today was a bit of an interrupted day - commitments to community meetings took quite a bit of time at both ends of the day - but I got time to compete the Peace Tree and begin hanging the Peace Leaves

©2013 Barry Smith - Peace Leaves on branchlets

As you can see from the photos below the tree is quite large given it was plaited by hand from 3 & 4mm thick fencing wire - I think it has ended having a very gentle organic form. I have set the tree into a recycled wastepaper bin with about 40kgs of cement - very stable.

©2013 Barry Smith - Peace Tree in need of more leaves

I have attached anodised aluminium leaves to the terminals of each branchlet - both to create a nice end and to deal with the sharpness of the wire ends.

©2013 Barry Smith - Peace Leaves on branchlets

©2013 Barry Smith - Peace Leaves on branchlets

And I have started attaching the Peace Leaves that have been sent to me both from overseas and Australia.

©2013 Barry Smith - Peace Leaves begin to adorn the tree

I did not move the tree into place at the entrance to the block as we used the last light of the day to put our Peace Flags in place. The tree will be put in place early tomorrow morning; and the rest of the leaves will be attached tomorrow afternoon as we are doing a children's peace activity in the local library in the morning. So I will share photos of the finished tree later.

I have breathed a bottle of red so that needs attention as we make our pizzas.

Plaiting a Peace Tree

I have started on making the 3m Peace Tree for the Peace Leaves for International Day of Peace on 21 September.

©2013 Barry Smith - Plaited wire

I'm plaiting the Peace Tree from coils of 3mm thick fencing wire as in the photo below.

©2013 Barry Smith - 3mm fencing wire

The process is:  create a core of two 3m strands twisting the top section together; and then progressively add more layers and more strands in each layer. The last layer of this particular tree will have 12 strands. A few progress photos follow.

©2013 Barry Smith - Plaiting sections - taped to stop eye injuries

©2013 Barry Smith - Plaited around the core

©2013 Barry Smith - The tree begins to take shape

I'm now about half way through the process - it will take about another 4 hours of cutting and plaiting. It is a fairly physical job plaiting the wire as the combined strands go from two to four. I will finish it in the week of the 16 September as Fiona and I are going away for a week.