Happy Halloween! / Week 9 / 52 Weeks of Peace
“Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees, “Tonight is Halloween!”
~ Dexter Kozen
‘Tis the season to bring out your carving knives and spook those goblins with clever sculptings!
Here’s a sampling of fantastic pumpkins* ~ some of which I’d think would require not just skill but the patience of a saint. They’re inspiring, yes? Another example of our wondrous capacity for creativity. Enjoy!
* All images found on the web, at various places: marthastewart.com, countryliving.com, goodhousekeeping.com, flicker and google images.
Chris Staley
“Everything an artist makes is a metaphor.” This is the overriding theme in this week’s video from Chris Staley, master potter, educator and Penn State Laureate. With disarming style, Chris recreates a snowman, a flower, a bent can and sticks in snow, inspired by a classroom visit with young children. (If you missed my introduction about Chris, you can read that here.) Enjoy!
proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.
According to Wikipedia, paisley is a droplet-shaped vegetable motif of Persian origin, but its western name derives from the town of Paisley, in central Scotland.
Well, you learn something new every day.
What I’d already known was that paisley seems to have an almost immortal popularity that’s been used heavily by the likes of the equally immortal designer William Morris and fashion giants Gucci and D&G (Dolce & Gabbana).
I think of it as a happy print; happiest when used sparingly and elegantly. Of course, for those who like to shout it out more boldly, that works too. Either way, wear it in good cheer. There’s quite a bit of history in a piece of paisley print!
(see our growing, ongoing Plethora of P’s here)
Pigeon Roost Farm. The name alone makes you smile; the pictures are priceless. Thank you for bringing “52 Weeks of Peace” to the fair, and sharing it with us from the friendly state of Ohio.
Peace fun at Pigeon Roost Farm, Ohio
Peace and a Snack at Pigeon Roost Farm Pumpkin Fest
“Pumpkin Peace Still Life”, Pigeon Roost Farm, Ohio
Where to next?
(ps: you can see all “where in the world is peace?” images on our “where in the world is peace?” page. Our book is on Amazon, our totes, mugs and things are available here. Please email your own pictures to 52weeksofpeace@gmail.com or post them on our FaceBook page. Let’s see where peace goes!)
proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.
I’ve always been enchanted by flamingos. I think most people are. Maybe it’s their color we find so stunning ~ their sheer pink-ness! ~ ranging from pale and soft to deep corals and brilliant pink-tinged scarlets.
Then you see them standing on those incredibly skinny legs that go every which way (often standing on just one leg; go figure…), making them both awkward and fluid, beautiful and strange, and there’s a sense of awe at their very design.
I like the “awe” of flamingos. I like the way their form almost contradicts itself. I like their grace and their gentleness, and how they hang out in groups like one big happy family and don’t cause any trouble. They eat, swim, and fly (sounds good to me). They mate for life. And they’ve got that amazing plumage.
You know, just thinking about them has brightened my day. Heck, I hope it’s brightened yours too.
(see our growing, ongoing Plethora of P’s here)
“What’s Your Point?” Pencil Point Series / © Patricia Saxton
It started with a college art class assignment~ one of the few assignments I adored ~ where we had to draw one crazy shape (or some such thing), then interpret in a myriad of ways.
I remember my shape was squiggly with random loops ~ kind of Miro-esque now that I think of it ~ and that I went nuts. I could barely keep up with all the ways I could keep the same design but make it look completely different. Colors, lines; the possibilities were endless! This was better than a drawer full of chocolate, or at the time, maybe more like a keg of beer and a bunch of great friends.
Eventually I had to stop, probably needing to put in some study time for other classes. Besides, it was a meaningless shape, so there was no impetus to keep going beyond the “oh cool” factor. I do think though, that because it was meaningless, my mind opened up to explore freely.
And so it was that this freeing exercise came in handy later on, when I started my business’ first promotional campaign. The memory of “many designs from one” prompted what became a signature series ~ those of you who’ve known me for a long time know exactly what I mean when I say “pencil points”.
Every 2-3 months for several years I’d send out a new Pencil Point Postcard (the pencil point also being my logo, giving it “meaning”), and the response was fabulous. Everyone had a favorite, people really looked forward to getting the next one, and I had fun creating them. And when pitching my design wares, pulling out a stack of pencil point cards almost always sealed the deal. Even if clients weren’t going to need something quite so creative, I think they liked knowing there was that kind of original thinking behind the scenes.
When business turned electronic, I decided to start a new series, online. “52 Weeks of Peace” postcard book was born, and the subsequent “Plethora of P’s” series. There will probably be something new in the future, but neither the peace signs or the positive P’s have run their gamut yet. (There are still more pencil points, too; I just have to draw the line somewhere … no pun intended!)
Sometimes I think it might be some kind of mental affliction. Maybe I am a little nuts. But really, “oh well”. We all have our quirks.
“A Plethora of P’s” / © Patricia Saxton
I did it in all the wrong order, but was riveted just the same.
First I broke form and saw the movie before reading the book. (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) “Wow”, I thought. Disturbing but mesmerizing and intelligent. Then while on vacation, the place I stayed had a copy of book 3. (The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest). Couldn’t put it down (and got to picture Daniel Craig throughout the book, which wasn’t a bad thing). I was so enthralled that I bought book 2 (The Girl Who Played With Fire) at the airport bookstore on the way home.
In order or not, these books are distractingly good, and I have Stieg Larsson to thank for my to-do’s taking a back seat to my most recent obsessive reading spree. What a marvelous storyteller. I don’t know that there’s ever been a main character quite as fascinating as Lisbeth Salander. Sadly, Larsson passed away before they were published, which means there’ll be no book four or five or six.
I applaud you many times over Mr. Larsson, and I hope you see how far and wide your work has been appreciated from where you sit in heaven.
This has happened a few times in recent years ~ finding a series I can’t get enough of. Ariana Franklin’s Mistress of the Art of Death series was another (she also passed away, leaving a void). And there’s Mary Doria Russell, whose The Sparrow and Children of God are spectacular. Each writer’s style is different – I would call Larsson’s contemporary spy/intrigue, Franklin’s are historical murder mysteries, and Russell’s a rich brand of science fiction I never knew existed, whose characters come to life within moments of being introduced, as if they’ve long been good friends.
There are far, far too many outstanding books (and their authors) to mention right here and now; these are three (with series’) that happened to come to mind. All I can say is, thank goodness for them. Not only inspiring writers, their fictional works have made “real life” that much more delicious.
“nobody can be uncheered with a balloon”
~ Winnie the Pooh
Remember to send peace! ~ The 52 Weeks of Peace postcard book is available at Amazon. “This book is a treasure – beautiful and inspirational artwork with thoughtful verbiage. Patricia Saxton has hit a home run.”
Peace is a week without making one “to-do” list. It’s dolphins playing, pelicans diving, herons dining and waves lapping. A book, some paints, some cards, some laughs, and gratitude for the peace we discovered on a beautiful island off Florida’s west Gulf Coast.
Where to next?
(ps: you can see all “where in the world is peace?” images on our “where in the world is peace?” page. Our book is on Amazon, our totes, mugs and things are available here. Please email your own pictures to 52weeksofpeace@gmail.com or post them on our FaceBook page. Let’s see where peace goes!)
