Oh Canadaaaaa! and California yay

Okay, I'm running out of clever titles for my blog posts but if you sing them they make sense!

Three more blocks, one from sunny California and two from our friends in Canada. Maria happy when blocks come in the mail! And the messages, oh the messages...

Rather than a hot, boring trip to the mailbox, I picture myself walking to the shore of the ocean and stooping down on the wet sand to snatch tiny bottles from the gentle waves to read the notes inside. Am I the only one that fantasizes through life? Okay, well then, never mind! Here are the latest gems.

Stephanie Chao
Laguna Niguel, California, USA

"My carving is of the Sanskrit mantra for peace, Om Shanti Shanti Shanti."

Sharon Robinson
Norman Brooke
Quebec Canada

Two cleverly "rubbings" of the blocks, two notes and a crossword puzzle!

Sharon Robinson

Norman Brooke

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Peace from across the country and across the pond

More presents!

I know I will be working my fingers to the bone coming up later in the year but right now I am so fortunate to get presents from all over the world in the mail. As usual, my favorite are the hand-written notes from all over with good thoughts, kind words and wishes of love and peace. Closely following are art-presents and dark chocolate. I am SO fortunate...thank you.

Lynita Shimizu
Ashford, Connecticut USA
www.shimizuwoodcuts.com

"Finding Peace
In the forest among the trees,
Leaves dance to the beat of the breeze;
Morning bird calls bounce off bark,
Moss blankets dew-drenched rocks;
Between oak and pine and web-woven air,
In the woods – Peace is there."

Fiona Humphrey
England, UK
www.fionahumphrey.com

My response to the Peace theme is a simple image of parent and child walking hand in hand, evoking, I hope a sense of the quietly personal and more widely communal commitments we make to each other.

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Peace Blocks from Chile and Australia

Deadline July 31

Ah yes, how time flies when you are making art! I have now 42 blocks glued tightly in place thirsting for ink, lovely lovely smelly printmaker's ink. None of the big blocks are yet complete so I can't start early printing, maybe next month?! Keep them coming, my eager studio elves await.

Sad note

While I wait, I have the sad task of substituting a block from Ruth Leaf, who passed away earlier this year. I will dedicate a block to her. During the course of my life as an artist I have made friends far and wide and gotten to know and love many artist-friends all over the globe. Some of us have met in person and Ruth was one of those. I visited her in Venice, California a few times during my art festival frolics and she was always happy, working, strong, lovely and true, as "real" as people get. Though we didn't talk often, both of us being low-maintenance friends, we connected very tightly. I miss her dearly.

Here are three more contributions from the world over. I love those images! Thanks for the newspapers too, I enjoy a good read from across the globe.

Jo Ernsten
New South Wales
Australia

Camila Zacarelli
Santiago
Chile

Alejandra Duarte
Santiago
Chile

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Hearts, fish and more birds...and chocolate! mmmm...

Maria Pinto
Sao Paulo - BRAZIL
http://maregina-arte.blogspot.com.br/

"We need a strong heart to build peace everywhere.
My work for the puzzle is inspired on Viana's heart pendant, the iconic piece of Portuguese filigree. I'm Brazilian but also Portuguese.
I think the peace needs patience, attention, knowledge to be made and it is more precious than any jewel."

Karen Owens
Orlando, Florida karenowensart.com

"Maria Arango Diener is one of my favorite artist, so when I heard that I could participate in this project I jumped at the chance! Also, I am in love with printmaking  and this project gave me an opportunity to try something new!

I wanted to portray a peaceful scene, and since I live in Florida I had to add some water, fishes and a common shrub.  Then I drew an image of a woman meditating with three fishes looking up at her.  The fishes for me represent peace, love and happiness. What more do you need?

Normally I create lino-cuts and this is only my second wood cut. Obviously wood is harder to carve but it creates some interesting texture that lino-cuts do not have.  So I learned some things while doing this project. Most importantly keep your tools sharp and carve away from your hand! "

Sue Butler
Adelaide, South Australia

"There is something incredibly peaceful about watching birds fly, as they float above us while we go about our daily business.  Sometimes I'd like to be a bird and hover peacefully in the sky looking down at the Earth.  

Thank you, Maria, for the chance to participate in this wonderful world-wide project. "

(editor's note: ah, but Sue's entire hand-written note was much more than that and I will keep that close to my heart, thank YOU Sue!)

Mysterious big box with lots of neat stuff in it:
a hand-written note, chocolates, and a post-card for my collection
just like Christmas! but better

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Birds and a hand

Six arrivals!

Three featured in this post, three more in a couple of days. Thirty-two blocks are now happily in their places chatting away with others from strange lands, about peace, of course! I can hear the chatter in my studio but as soon as I approach...they go quiet...sometimes a playful snicker...shhhh

Mary Hill Las Vegas Nevada USA
www.mhill-designs.com

"This image depicts 'my hand' in this wonderful peace print project. With the words hope and faith inscribed to remind us that we lift each other up in the process of consciously allowing peace to be part of our lives.

Many thanks for this opportunity."

Carolyn McLeod
Reno, NV
www.carolynmcleod.net

"Title:  ""Birds in Harmony""
Silhouette of birds in harmonious flight."

Lynne J Hubner
McKinney Texas USA
lynnehubnerprints.com

"When contemplating the concept of Peace I look towards nature for inspiration. My submission is of a Kildeer carved in the spirit of Papel Picado  and Scherenschnitte. Both forms of paper cutting are representative of two major cultures in Texas.

Why a Kildeer? They are adaptive birds, highly protective of their young, able to make their home wherever they can. They successfully coexist with their neighbors in urban and wild settings. Their chicks hatch with their eyes wide open ready to take on the world. "

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