Wee bit of construction and the book Peace in Print

Construction in the studio

There is only one solution when trying to fit 8 stacks of 160 prints each into my humble studio, go high! So this Sunday I built an "apartment building" to aid in collating the prints. Rough construction but I had some scrap wood and it will do very nicely when the time comes for collating the sets of prints. Incidentally for the first few years of my young adult life I stacked my few books and some plants on furniture made with cinder blocks and particle board shelves. Easy construction, easier take down, worked great, cheap as dirt...ah the days!

Anyhow, here are some pics of the Peace Shelves

Major stack of 1380 prints on a convenient hydraulic lift table

2x6 risers, 1x2 cross members, 3-ply corrugated cardboard shelves

First four

Instruments of mass construction

Ready to roll, captain, my captain!

...and the Peace in Print book

Constructing the information book isn't nearly as fun as playing with wood and screws but I really really want to be mailing before the Christmas rush hits the postal services. So I'm progressing nicely, below a pic of my "office" with my BFF Bamboo graphics tablet and Photoshop on the screen. Window keeps me sane. 

Each artist gets a page and that is what I'm working on at the moment, 160 images to be extracted from the Peace prints, one image for the location icon (top right), one image for the block (smaller) and one image for the resulting print with the background faded for effect (larger image). And of course the artist's name and location and whatever they wrote about their image. Coming along nicely!

Where it all gets put together

Thank goodness for the window and the coffee

Sample page for each artist

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Babies! water, daisies, flowers and a piggie

Debbie Kiest Pacifica CA

Peace is such a complex concept, but like love, it starts from within. A baby asleep brings me such calm and joy, especially when I remember how hard I often had to work for those moments when my son was young! But his happy and boisterous moments brought me great peace as well. In these days of violence and inequity it is important to seek sources of peace for ourselves such as art and friends to keep us strong so that we can speak for peace in the greater world. Peace to you!

Murilo Antonio Pereira
Florianopolis
BRAZIL

Mellissa Read-Devine North West Sydney, Australia www.readdevine@aol.com

My image is of a daisy chain. Apart from the obvious peace connotations of hippy like teens in caftans handing around gerberas; I was more inspired by quiet blissful memories sitting in the grass of endless sunshine, the lazy hum of low flying insects in the air, picking daisies and making wonderful adornments that wilted sadly by the time I took them home.

Kris Alder
Utah USA

Dorothy Schultz Calgary, Alberta

Flowers are the ultimate survivors.  They bring peace and joy with their blooms.

Julia Wakefield Adelaide, South Australia http://www.juliawakefield.com.au/

"This is the second time I've participated in one of Maria's puzzle projects. Her energy and enthusiasm are awe-inspiring. In December 2013 I exhibited the City of the World puzzle print at the Hahndorf Academy, a historic building in the Adelaide Hills. People were knocked out by it - they'd never seen so many images by so many artists from so many different countries, all gathered together into one enormous print. I intend to do the same thing with the Peace puzzle print. Maria gives us all the opportunity to collaborate in a way that is very seldom given to anyone: we can speak not only to each other but to the whole world about our love of printmaking, our individual perspectives on life - and our united passion for peace.
My part of the puzzle - 'Peace Pig' - has no special meaning beyond this: I figure that if pigs can occasionally fly, they would also like to sleep on fluffy white clouds when they've had enough of performing miracles."

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Three more pieces, 112 in place

Cathie Crawford
Peoria, Illinois
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_jFEZZ9_S0  http://www.peoriacac.org/Directory/Cathy%20Crawford/Cathy%20Crawford.html

"Between September 1998 and September 2001 I lived in Jeddah Saudi Arabia.  I stumbled across Maria’s 1000 Woodcuts site when we finally got access to the Internet six months after arriving.  I was very impressed to say the least.    Thanks to Maria, I learned that baby oil is a much better cleanup option than the mineral spirits I had been using since I started my MFA in 1984.  My printmaking studio is now solvent free although I use oil based ink.
The summer before my husband’s job moved us to Jeddah, I started taking Arabic lessons.  The very first phrase I learned to say from my first Arabic teacher (my Lebanese friend from Qatar) seemed perfect for the Peace Puzzle.  A Sudanese student at Bradley University taught me the Arabic alphabet.   I was able to sound out and read the signs in the airport when I first arrived in Jeddah (while waiting for over an hour to clear customs).  Having the English translation underneath really helped.  For my piece of the Peace Puzzle, I decided to write the common Arabic greeting “Al sa-lahm a’a-LAY-koom” in Arabic calligraphy.  The literal translation of this common way to say “Good day” is “The Peace be upon you.”  This was how my Yemeni driver Mohammad greeted me everyday.  This was what I heard when I entered a stall in the souk (market).  This lovely phrase was a part of my everyday life in Jeddah.
First I needed to brush up on my Arabic calligraphy.  I have managed to draw out the phrase in Arabic calligraphy (on my second try) to fit my piece of the Peace Puzzle.  Now I must decide whether the letters should be white or black.  I wish I knew what my tiny block would be next to in this almost 4 by 9 foot printing matrix.  I guess that’s part of the surprise of what this collaborative project is all about."

Susan Rood
New Hartford, Connecticut USA

My vision of peace is people of all houses joining together with respect and friendship. (I probably have watched too many shows with names such as House of Cards. Game of Thrones and PBS Historical Dramas but it seems like foregoing competition based on lineage, beliefs and money would be good.)

Eileen Tavolacci

Redding, Connecticut, USA
www.eileentavolacci.com

"For many years, I participated in international kite-flying festivals. We came together from foreign lands to engage in one common love. We may not have understood each others' words, but we acted as One and shared great joy. 

It reminds me of the words sung by Crosby Stills Nash & Young:

""If you smile at me

 I will understand

 'cuz that is something

 Everybody

 Everywhere

 does in the same language....."" 

My heart

   My wish

      My hope

           = PEACE

Blessings to All

-Eileen Tavolacci

Redding, Connecticut, U.S.A."

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Flowers and origami doves and an otter for peace

Joanne Price
Bagdad, KY USA
starpointestudio.com

I chose to represent peace with soothing flowers. Phlox flowers are a symbol of unity or harmony and in Chinese culture, the peach blossom is a symbol of growth, prosperity, long life and luck - all important elements in gaining peace.

Hans Heilman
Lexington, Massachusetts USA
www.heilmanart.com

In terms of visual art, I'm really a watermedia painter, but my mother and my stepmother were both printmakers -- I grew up with many woodcut prints around me, so I figured I had probably absorbed enough through osmosis to give this project a try. In a small way, this project allowed me to feel that I was following in their footsteps.
When I thought about the 'Peace' theme, the idea of an origami 'peace crane' was one of the first images that popped into my head. An origami construction has such delicate fragility -- but I wanted it to convey a sense of power also, bringing light into the darkness.

Monica Leidig
Las Vegas, Nevada USA

"The otter symbolizes friendship, happiness, peace, and family. Both parents help raise the young. Otters wrap themselves in kelp and hold each others hands while sleeping so as not to drift away. Otters are busy playing when they are not sunning, hunting, or eating. My sea otter carving is to remind us to take time to relax and go with the  flow of life. And you are never to old to play!
This piece was my first woodcarving. As an art teacher, I have taught linoleum printing lessons a time or two. Carving on wood was very challenging but fun! I am excited and so thankful to be a part of this collaboration. "

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The River another small block carved by your fearless instigator and Test Block report

The River

There is something about watching a river roll by that is calming and peace-giving like no other experience, except maybe watching the ocean. I could engage in either for hours. But while the ocean ripples back and forth, the river goes by washing away fear and doubt and everything wrong, and offering new fresh water with every second passed. Much like time, and life. The sound itself is constant, soothing, trickle or roar it fills me with peace leaving no room for anything but a clean and pure tranquility.

And when speaking of rivers, the Colorado is first in my heart. I have been to many places in and around this awesome gift of nature and none too many, I hope to see many more.

"The River" is my third block for the Peace Puzzle.

The River, peace puzzle contribution by Maria Arango Diener

Test Block

A while back I reported I would be carving a block to test the integrity of the MDF/cherry veneer plywood that I purchased for the Peace Puzzle. Well here it is! The carving was of the background image and included some very thin lines, curves and other possible trouble spots. 

I covered the entire thing with polyurethane to give the MDF (medium density fiberboard) a sealant and also "glue" the edges of the carved veneer to the surrounding MDF support. This way the roller, covered with sticky ink, would hopefully not break up the bond between support and veneer and printing would go smoothly.

Test block with polyurethane ready to be printed on my press bed

Close up, yummy finish huh?!

I am pleased with the results although I did lose a tiny piece of line in the initial roll of ink. I still don't have any idea where it came from. Also, I tested some "repairs" done with wood glue and all held up very well. Additionally, the edges of the block seemed to be just fine with having the press roller on and off without crumbling or breaking. 

I will post on Facebook later this weekend and have a giveaway! I want some young budding artists to color some of these so if you are a teacher, get ready to message me. I will give away 5 prints to be colored by 5 different groups of youngsters. No charge, just for fun, no need to return the print. Just take a picture of the result and I will post on my Facebook page.

A day's work, about 15 prints hangin' out

Peace Puzzle test block image
20 x 36 inches paper size
12 x 32 inches image size
Ready for coloring!

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Unbelievable! More critters big and small, okay mostly small

 Two more catches me up!

I finished carving Karen Wheeler's piece. She's an artist who painstakingly draws tiny stroke by tiny stroke, building up the images in a stroke-pointilistic kind of way. Check out her website sometime: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Artist-Karen-Wheeler/442099865870003

So I carved her drawn piece tiny stroke by tiny stroke with my 1mm chisels. It was quite fun, resembling a detailed wood engraving.

And yesterday I received Michele Unger's contribution, a nicely done bird with a deep meaning. Interesting how some artists choose to do something simple and let the shape of the wood inspire the image. Well done!

Michele R. Unger

Edmonds, WA

bellstjournal.blogspot.com 

Trying to grasp onto an image for peace is like trying to photograph a bird in flight---elusive.  So I chose a bird as my image and carved it upside down.  When a flag is raised upside down it is a sign of distress so when an image of peace is printed upside down it is a cry for change, to make peace not so elusive, but common.  How wonderful a world it would be if peace were the norm.  Think of all the free time we might have to solve our common problems, rather than wasting time hating our differences.

Karen Wheeler
Henderson, NV
www.KarenWheeler.com

Animals inspire me beyond words. My definition of Peace is expressed by showing how two animals of different size and species can lay down together and sleep. I have chosen a domestic house cat and a parakeet lying in peaceful slumber even though the cat is a natural predator to the bird. The larger cat is happy to be the protector of the smaller bird in this instance. There is no fear here because the two are friends and love each other so much that their only desire is to remain close to one another in peace.

Karen's sketch on the block

Progression of carving with the final Karen Wheeler
piece for the Peace Puzzle

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Four more makes twenty-eight pieces of peace

Enjoy the latest!

Birds, bunnies and other critters seem to be a recurring symbol for peace, as are children. Interesting! Maybe we should have our world leaders rescue pets and volunteer in orphanages to make them mellower and more peaceful, what do you think?! Brilliant, I say...

Wendy Morris
Spokane Washington USA

Nancy Nastari
Brasil - Guaruja

The essence of the nature of birds is the freedom to fly, are related to beauty and tranquility of living. No matter how the day dawns, they are always singing, express unity, joy and pleasant moments. His singing conveys peace and your flight is connecting the earth and heavenly plans!

Martha Knox Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA marfknox@gmail.com

"I changed my mind about a dozen times on what to draw on my block. The first things that came to mind were symbols of peace, but that was too obvious. Then I thought about figures from history famous for working toward peace, but that felt too specific for a big, collaborative project. Then I started thinking about images from nature, such as maybe a tortoise, elephant, or owl, that are associated with patience and wisdom. But nothing I came up with really resonated with my personally.
Finally, I realized that I'd completely over-thought the whole thing and felt stuck. So I emptied my head and asked myself when in my own life do I feel most at peace. And the answer was when I'm reading to my girls before bedtime.
Now as I was drawing and carving, I didn't exactly consider how this block will be oriented when it is put back into the larger piece. I simply came up with an image that fit the way it fit. So the girls will be upsidedown in the final piece. But I'm okay with that because the overall design for the puzzle is very fluid and it seems as if things are being gently blown all around the composition. And after all, Marc Chagall never had a problem with people's heads being upsidedown! "

Caroline Maddison
Talybont.  Wales. UK
www.carolinemaddison.co.uk

Wales is steeped in old folklore, legends and some wonderful dramatic landscapes and wildlife.
One such legend that engaged me was of St Melangell, the welsh patron saint of hares. The story of Melangell came about in the 7th century.
 Brochwell, the Prince of Powys was hunting and pursuing a hare, the hare took refuge under Melangell`s cloak. The prince`s hounds stopped in their tracks, turned and fled. The Prince was so moved by her courage that he gave her the valley as a place of sanctuary. Melangell had a church built on that very spot and became Abbess of a small religious community. She was buried there and the church today is a place of pilgrimage.
As this place is not far from where I live, I decided to visit .I am not a particularly religious person but as soon as I arrived, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and spirituality. It was beyond words and is an experience that has stayed with me.
I feel honoured to be part of this world wide collaboration with such a powerful and positive theme. My personal experience of peace at St Melangell`s church and my carving of the hare is my small contribution to this project.

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More peace coming your way

Peace and Alegria

If I would have known how soothing it is to write peace and say Alegria (happiness) on a daily basis, I would have undertaken this theme a long time ago. Alegria, of course, is my newly found puppy. When I first saw her upon returning from my daily walk, she was covered in trash and lay listless against a chain-link fence in a deserted lot. I nearly headed home to grab a shovel when the tiny dirty pile of trash started wagging its tail. The rest is pupstory!

Trivia over, here are four more images, with bonus puppy. Connie Brewer, the first block shown below, had the presence of mind to include a snack for pup and mom, thanks Connie! Vicki and Sarah win the award for best-wrapped blocks so far, very attractive! And Bea Gold, my friend, always with a knack for depicting the sweetest child; thanks for the goodies!

Connie Brewer
Gillette, Wyoming US

My puzzle piece is centered on my Corgis and the peace they bring me. Nothing better than playing fetch with the Corgis after a  long day at work. Peace, Connie Brewer (and Max & Merlin, the Corgis)

Vicki LoSasso and Sarah Chvilicek
Reno Nevada USA

Bea Gold
California USA

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