peace all over the world

flying flags from Spain

Hello Mary Jane and thank you for allowing me to contribute to this blog. I must say I rarely participate in group projects but the idea of working around and for Peace captivated me immediately. I discovered the Flags for Peace project through Fiona's Paper Ponderings and felt that somehow my recent work and investigation of new materials were already asking for something like this.

My name is Ersi Marina and I live in Beceite, a small village in Northeastern Spain. The village is located in a beautiful, exuberantly green county called Matarranya and one of the things that made me decide to move here from Barcelona seven years ago was the very feeling of peace that seems to emerge from the land, the rocks and the vegetation. A place where one can work and create in serenity and in harmony with the surrounding nature.

This is a view of Beceite from my balcony.

I run a small non-profit Exhibition Hall called The Antigua Fabrica Noguera and I am a member of a local group of artists, still in search of a name as a group. I thought that it would be such a good thing if we all participated in the Flags project so I emailed them to tell them about it. Our next meeting is scheduled for Sunday 27 May and I hope that I will then be able to tell you more about our collective involvement in the project.

I also thought that we could hold an exhibition of photographs of the flags created all over the world in the Cultural Centre of Beceite. I contacted the local Town Hall and they immediately agreed. I will post photographs of the Cultural Centre in this blog, because it's a beautiful, luminous and warm space to use.

I admit there is a catch to this. If there are hundreds or thousands of flags, it will probably be impossible to accommodate them all. We'll see how we work our way around this obstacle. For the time being, this is my proposal: that each participating artist send us a photograph of their flag/s and we would mount them on panels for the exhibition. The photographs need to be rather small, an approximate size of A6.

I am really looking forward to this and I am following closely to see the creations coming in from all over the world.

prayer flags in garden

When you can put your whole energy

into creating something 

that will give you satisfaction, 

that will give you a deep sense of fulfillment, 

a sense that you have not been here unnecessarily, 

you have contributed something; 

you have made the world a little more beautiful – 

a few more flowers you have added to it. 

If everybody is adding a few more flowers, 

this whole world can again become a garden. 

~ Osho

the project progresses -

work by leann weih

i have been thinking about the organization of the project... 

my goal on sept. 21st is to allow you all to post here... i rather like this idea as it means all of the individual work will be together... you can stay on one blog and find everyone who wanted to participate... 

of course, you are encouraged to add a link to your personal blog and post there if you wish as well... 

but i like the notion of a blog holding images of all its member's work... 

for you are a member here... 

so if you get an invite to be an author, don't panic... i am trying to get you set up for then... if you would like to post at any time, please do feel free... you need not ask permission... my sole request is that you peddle only peace here... 

thank you to those who are following, who are posting, who are sharing ideas, who are visiting... 

mary jane

Peace flags in Connecticut

I became aware of the Flags for Peace Project - 2012 when Fiona wrote about it on Paper Ponderings. A quick look at this blog and the ideas started to flow. I could picture rows of colorful prayer flags running from our front porch to be anchored by the trees surrounding the yard. The breeze from the trees causing the flags to frolic on the currents...currents that circle to earth and connect us all.

A trip to a local quilting shop on Saturday had me selecting some traditional prayer flag colors and adding a few favorites. [the halogen lights in my studio had the colors going all wonky, but you can tell the real colors in the photo below]

It was lovely here yesterday on Mother's Day. Just perfect for wrapping and discharging the cottons for my prayer flags

 as well as the odd t-shirt or two that had become stained over the winter.

I'm thinking 9" x 12" will be a good finished size. There's cutting and sewing to come.

Thanks to all for allowing me to participate and post to this blog!
Jennifer

Peace across the oceans

I have been thinking a lot about how this little idea, this little seed has been planted and has spread across the world so effortlessly and so willingly. It seems wonderful to me that the interweb allows us to connect, find kindred spirits and best of all share. And peace is a wonderful thing to share.

A mention here, a comment there, a blog post over there... and the word is spread and others join in and show their support for peace.

My mind is wandering across all sorts of options for my flags, but I am thinking paper so it slowly disappears in the weather, as it faces rain and sun and wind and fog and dew.

I'd love to hear what others are thinking and doing. I know Lesley has put her recent indigo dyeing to great use already and so the flags across the world begin.

street art, asbury park nj 2011

tag from yogi tea bag

peace on earth

Ripples from Maleny

Peace - found in ordinary things

As Fiona indicated in her recent post a few folk in Maleny Australia (Ken, Noela, Fiona and I) have taken up the invite of Mary Jane on this blog to create ripples for peace; and of course also create flags to mark International Peace day on 21 September 2012.

At this stage we have a few things in the pipeline including:

• inviting many more local artists to create peace flags, in whatever medium moves them, and fly them for the week of 17 September 2012 and particular the 21 September;
• share the flag planning, thinking, 'vibing', rippling and making process on this blog if they want to join as contributors;
• photograph the flags flying on 21 September so they might be included in some photographic peace promotion effort-medium;
• see if we can involve children who use our local library in the creation of a peace wall installation at the library; and 
• maybe hold a display in the library promoting peace in the week of peace week.

Peace Rainbow - between light and darkness

In our enthusiasm we thought that we might be able to involve the local quilt makers in the creation a large 3X2m peace wall quilt; alas they are fully committed this year; but are open to the idea for 2013. We also thought we could have a Peace Day in the park with various activities including the gathering of flags; making of button; and ringing of bells. Again - a plan for 2013.

This project has brought peace more into our collective consciousness and thus provides the opportunity to create some gentle peace ripples which we can only hope becomes a wave.

inspiration

this tumblr account is dedicated to images of prayer flags,


there are so many breathtaking images - 


thank you so much to the moderator for all of their work... 


..................................................................................................................

did you know -

traditional prayer flags are flown in the order

blue - sky

white - cloud

red - fire

green - water

yellow - earth

relating to the five  elements and the five buddha families... 

if there are any links of inspiration or information that you know of and would like to share, please let us know... we will add them to the developing pages... 

thank you - 

welcome

on march 21 i proposed a peace flag project on my personal blog and it met with interest... as fortune would have it, i have found myself in the midst of some wonderful people - people who make me feel as if i belong to a larger tribe... and so the hermit who loves to sit at a bench and 'make' is now involved in something bigger... 


peace flag/prayer flag projects are not uncommon... we even came upon a dream flag project in philly at the children's hospital a couple of years ago... 

what moves me so much about these projects - and about the prayer flags themselves as traditionally used - is the intention of spreading good to all... it is the cooperative effort, the linking of intentions that makes them so powerful... 


and so you are invited... 


you are invited to make a peace offering in flag form to fly on international peace day 21 september 12... so that we can join our wishes with those of so many others across the globe... and to create a ripple with our blogs by posting about it all on the same day... 


pages will be appearing here with links and such - we will be assembling participants and their blogs... 


if you would like to post at any time, please ask - i am hoping this will be a living blog... with a  project focus? yes... but also with a focus upon sharing your stories, art, thoughts on a daily basis... 

thank you to the friends who so enthusiastically responded to the idea and who will be participating on the blog... 


in peace and with gratitude (and excitement) - 


mary jane