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
A little peace for the season…. a time with magic in the air!
The intertwining of colors and textures. The weaving of comfort and protection, warmth, pleasure, practicality and play into numberless long-lasting things made with love… So much goodness in one ball of yarn. So much peace it can bring.
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!)
“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. Â 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
“We are each other’s harvest; we are each other’s business; we are each other’s magnitude and bond.” ~ Gwendolyn Brooks
Tomorrow (September 21st) is the officially designated International Day of Peace. Events coordinated by the United Nations, various peace organizations and interested local groups are intended to create a wave of peace around the globe, or at least to put some hefty, prayerful weight behind that intention.
For one day, concentrated collections of humanity will unite with one hope: peace.
But that’s not all. It’s also the Fall Equinox ~ one of two times a year when day and night are of equal length. Where spring’s equinox ushers in longer days and more light, the autumn equinox provides a period of balance before the darker, more introspective days of winter. It’s a time to appreciate the reaping of harvest; a time of giving thanks.
For whatever reason, no doubt influenced by my father’s rural roots, I’ve always found the cycles of the natural world both intriguing and instructive … and I’m kind of giddy that the International Day of Peace coincides with the day on nature’s calendar that exemplifies balance and fruition. Makes me smile. As if there just might be some divine order amid the madness.
And as promised in my prior post on Unity, my artwork (shown above) was created in honor of this unified effort ~ the inspired energies focusing on peace across our beautiful planet, on this most balanced day of the year.
………
I don’t usually explain my art, but I’ll break form for this one. The colors of fall blend to represent all people, all colors, all walks of life. The bird – a symbol of hope, promise and freedom – faces forward with optimism, its swirly feathers joyful. The word “unity” is filled with a world map, signifying (perhaps obviously) global camaraderie. The two lines of vertical text show the word “peace” in a multitude of languages. The stark black and white background represents the balance of light and dark, and the idea that hard-edged barriers can be fluidly crossed and complemented. I tried to show that simplicity that can be distilled from complexity, and that a sense of groundedness can coexist with dreams and maybe even lift us in flight towards the possibility of peace.
………
 Here’s to dreams ~  Patricia
“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. Â 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!)
When I was a kid, the crowded beaches seemed to have as many transistor radios as people. From almost every towel and beach chair, New York’s WABC blasted all the top hits…. over and over. Sometimes the biggest hits even got “instant replay” status.
The energy of all this was fun ~ the first 2 or 3 times. It didn’t take long to discover I much preferred almost any beach to these, which were (are still are) popular by virtue of proximity to civilization and a ride-and-game-filled boardwalk.
So I had a mini-meltdown the other day when visiting one of our favorite beaches, with its sprawling stretches of white sand, no commercial riff-raff and one couple who apparently felt that everyone else would appreciate their blaring radio.
I’ll even admit that the song playing at the time of my breakdown was one I kind of liked. But I didn’t want to hear it then, nor the constant noise that would inevitably flow from the little box under their umbrella for the next who-knows-how-many hours.
No. Not acceptable.
I go to the beach for the sand, sun and surf. I like to hear the seagulls squawking, the waves tumbling, the caps of suntan lotion being flicked up and down. I like to see the shells that wash ashore, let my feet get buried by the tide going in and out. I like to dive under the waves, and float on their tops. I like the expansive sky, ships on the horizon, fishermen fishing, even children squealing with delight or building a castle moat.
The pleasures of being at the shore do not include hearing the top 40, or any other choice played at everyone else’s mercy. If you can’t enjoy the beach without it, then at the very least have the courtesy of turning down the volume. (Way down, please.) Or, gosh, how about an iPod? Hello?
So I packed us up and moved as far down the beach as possible, where the intrusive radio could not be heard. And there, I found ~ and made ~ peace. Blessed peace. All was not lost.
52 Weeks of Peace [squared]: Week 72 / “Peace Doodle” / © Patricia Saxton
Because peace can be spontaneous and frivolous and fluid and “unfinished”… a little rough around the edges, a bit overworked in some spots, underworked in others; add some color here, some color there. Kind of like life, and art, and people ~ peace is a work in progress.
