The Art of Peace

I've always believed that art serves as another form of communication, like any other language.  A work of art can produce feelings of anger or pain, or feelings of joy and peace, and anything in between.  Art is a language that speaks directly to the soul.  And so much can be expressed through visual images, as with music and words.  Just like Pablo Picasso's Guernica is a reminder of the horrors of war, art for the promotion of peace can be just as moving, and even healing.  Which is what this world needs right now.

I was inspired by these two bloggers recently, when I was pondering the question of how to begin to get people inspired to be peace-conscious.  A Peace of... is a really cool blog where artists can contribute images of their work for an on-going on-line exhibit of art inspired for peace.  So far, the work I've seen, which also includes some poetry, is very thought-provoking and beautiful.  This is worth checking out.

Another blog I found is called the Hill Billy Artist, this artist is creating a work of art a day centered around the topic of peace.  The art is whimsical and fun, and each piece has accompanying commentary from the artist.  I especially love the "peace hero" dolls of Gandhi and Jesus.

It's amazing to see people from all over, finding the inspiration and drive to remind us of the importance of peace.  And it's refreshing to see artwork that goes beyond the superficial, and straight to the depths of the soul of the world.