Category Archives: peace
{Unveiling} Holy Land
The final painting, “Holy Land” (nature knows no borders). 24×36″. Acrylic & jewels on canvas. 2024. I wasn’t clear as to why it took so long to complete this particular painting but have come to see its creation as an ongoing peace vigil around the war in Gaza. The Hoopoe, Israel’s national bird, and the Palestinian Sunbird, their national bird, sit upon an unripened olive branch. The national flowers of Israel, Anemone coronaria, and the Palestinian Faqqua Iris hold court below with the Madonna Lily. Each flower representing the people of the Abrahamic traditions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—that call the Holy Land (including the Dome of the Rock seen in the background) their home. National butterflies represent a vision of transformation that is desperately needed to bring peace to the region. Peace. Salam. Shalom. Prints available at my boutique. A percentage of your purchase benefits an aid organization working in the region.
A prayer, a poem, a painting for peace.
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“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.
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From my May newsletter:
I hope this note finds you well and grounded as we continue to swim in the turbulent waters of this election year and bear witness to the ongoing tragedies of war, especially in Gaza. It’s a lot to take in and praying for peace doesn’t seem enough but Ellen Bass’s poem “Prayer for Peace” (Read full poem here) speaks to my heart. How do we make every moment holy and a prayer for peace. This is an excerpt:
With each breath in, take in the faith of those
who have believed when belief seemed foolish,
who persevered. With each breath out, cherish.
Pull weeds for peace, turn over in your sleep for peace,
feed the birds for peace, each shiny seed
that spills onto the earth another second of peace.
Is it foolish to believe—to pray for peace, for unity? Perhaps, but we will persevere and I continue to believe in the power of the arts to make a difference. Historian Ken Burn’s 2024 commencement address at Brandeis is so inspirational if you haven’t seen it and, likewise, affirms the role of the arts. We need all our creativity and the power of the moral imagination to solve today’s crises.
I’ve created several interfaith peace paintings over the years, and am currently working on “Holy Land” (seen above). The Palestinian Sunbird and the Hoopoe are the national birds of Palestine and Israel, respectively, and seen here with the national flowers. Nature knows no borders. Similar in theme is the “Conference of the Birds” that also speaks to unity amidst the darkness of our times.
I pray for peace. I paint for peace. For beauty and the enduring spirit of hope in us all. Keeps me going as I now also navigate another injury having fractured my wrist on May 3. Breathing in, breathing out: I cherish this precious moment. May all know peace.
With love and gratitude,
Amy
