'Peace'
 
This beautiful and unique 9 x 11" hand-painted artwork was inspired by the Book of Kells and completed between 13 October and 2nd November, 2000. You can read more on its creation below. It is available in the following formats:
 
original (9 x 11")
A4 print (21 x 29.7cm) framed and glazed
A3 poster (29.7 x 42cm)
A5 greeting card (14.8 x 21cm)
 
Background
 
'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.' Jesus Christ.
'We cannot obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.' The Buddha
'When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.' Jimi Hendrix
'If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.' Mother Teresa
'Peace is the only battle worth waging.' Albert Camus

A few quotes to illustrate the history-long elusive search for peace. As an art project it challenged me too!

When a wise, old artist I'd previously exhibited with suggested 'Peace' as a theme for my next art project, I knew I wanted to do it.

As I played with the idea I knew I wanted to include two symbols: the triquetra and the dove. Historically, the triquetra (or Trinity Knot) represents the perfect harmony of the Triune God; the dove of course is the universal symbol for peace.

The challenge was to include these in a traditional knotwork pattern. In the end I found the answer in adapting the work of an unknown Irish artist from the 9th century Book of Kells (which is today housed in Trinity College, Dublin). In this amazing illuminated manuscript, we find a lovely three-in-one spiral border pattern which uses the triquetra. I then took one strand from the third spiral to give issue to a dove, as in the Credo we read that the Spirit 'proceeds from the Father and Son'. However, in separating the spiral I had created a gap beneath my dove with a 'loose' strand. So I used this to represent peace flowing like water from the dove (sorry, gettting a bit technical there!)

Colours are often symbolic in art and the ones I used here were too. The Trinity Knot represents Father, Son and Spirit: the life of the God the Father (green) gives birth to God the Son (red) from whom flows God the Spirit (blue) for the Spirit.

Finally, in penciling out the lettering, I included another, more realistic dove, sitting on the branch of the second 'e', with an olive branch in its beak. This image is taken from the Biblical account of the Great Flood:

'When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth.' Genesis 8:11