Krista Vicidomini Art Teacher Jones Elementary School Community Mural

Peace in our World Mural at Oak Avenue Elementary School in Los Altos, California

This new mural at Oak Avenue Elementary Schoolhouse in Los Altos, California is titled "Peace in our World."

I've been asked, "How did I come upwards with the design for this landscape?"

The Oak main and PTA approached me because they wanted to create a work of art that would celebrate the international community at the school. Specifically, they wanted to include a map of the world in the artwork, since they already had a map of the Usa painted on their playground.

A map mural concept was a struggle for me because a world map resonates with the literal, belittling side of my brain. Information technology'southward a technical depiction of the landmasses on globe. How could I add together more depth, symbolism, and meaning to a world map painting? How could I plow it into a work of art? I mulled over ideas for a while, and information technology felt similar trying to rhyme with orange. The globe map reminds me of… null but the world map.

I offered the school three design directions.

1. A straightforward painting of a map. I included lettering on either side and then that the globe map aspect ratio stayed accurate. It felt literal, inelegant to me. I didn't honey information technology:

ii. For the 2d design, I worked with the idea of the planet and felt that would communicate the "one world" message nicely, and be more than unifying and poetic than a flat map. I felt better about this pattern. Yet, as the principal pointed out, this leaves half of the world unseen, on the other side of the globe.

As I was noodling on how to elegantly incorporate a map, I was drinking a cappuccino and saw what could be mistaken for a world map on the inside of the cup.

I started thinking nigh some other context, perhaps more inspiring than a ceramic mug, might I be able to sneak in a world map?

Would it fit on a bird? No. A flower? No. A Butterfly? Hmmm. Maybe…..

And in the painting evolved into this:

Butterfly with World Wings Mural

Mara Sippel, a parent at Oak, generously assisted me in painting the mural. When she blocked in the lettering, information technology was not centered beyond the lesser. I was nigh to ask her to repaint the lettering when we noticed that "peace in our world" was perfectly centered under the fly, and maybe if we popped it out in a different colour, it would read similar a prayer. Thank you, Mara, for the adventitious genius.

To me, the quote past Gandhi, "If we are to create peace in our earth, we must begin with our children" is sort of sneaky. In the same fashion, you can't relieve the Monarch butterfly, which covers 2,500 miles from Canada to Mexico each year without international cooperation, concerted attempt, and systemic change along their migration route, yous can't teach children about peace without a supportive cultural ecosystem. I call up that Gandhi is being sneaky because already knows that focusing on the children is really a gateway to cultivating peacemaking in ourselves and, subsequently, the broader community. If nosotros are to enhance a generation of peacemakers, nosotros will take to take a look at our civilization of stress and overwork and obsession with chasing dollars which leaves parents, teachers, and caregivers without the fourth dimension or emotional resource to provide the warm, loving attending that children need to thrive. Throw in a media and food civilisation that values profits over our welfare, and information technology looks to me that the task of teaching our children peace is an overwhelming chore for parents to undertake alone. It is an attempt our whole society would have to participate in.
I had plenty of time to mull over Gandhi's message while I painted this 35-foot wall, and I came up with more questions than answers. Why aren't teachers paid in line with the value they are calculation to our society? Why does California allow a ratio of 35 kindergartners to 1 teacher? Who idea that was a good idea? It is absurd to me that we don't make a well-rounded didactics for our children a top priority as a club. Our time to come is dependent on the investments we make in our children at present.

What can yous and I do to be a part of raising a generation of children that experience safe, loved, and continued and so they grow into healthy adults?

I have one idea. It'due south my cloak-and-dagger weapon every bit a parent.

Check out HandinHandParenting.org

Warning: I am completely biased. My female parent-in-constabulary started Hand in Hand 28 years ago. I have been blessed to learn from the master how to connect with my kids using the tools she taught me. I have learned that when children feel scared, lone, or asunder, they are more likely to act out with "less-than-endearing" behaviors. Equally a parent, I am and so glad to have the skills to understand those bad feelings are only function of how kids process stress and confusion, and if a loving adult can stay close and listen to their feelings, they emerge from the feel more connected and confident, and back to their perky, resilient selves. Mitt in Manus is at present in 11 countries, and over thirty,000 parents were served terminal year by a grade, talk, or consultation. Their mission is to "raise a generation of involved, artistic, visionary trouble solvers who will transform the world." Read her volume, Heed. Try out her arroyo with a child in your life and experience the benefits immediate.

Painting this mural was inspiring to me. I hope the artwork helps the viewer connect with the concept that our individual deportment can and practice have a broader bear upon, the butterfly consequence. What we do with our time and attention today has repercussions in fourth dimension and space that we cannot foresee, perhaps generations out. Our potential as peacemakers is certainly less geographically limited than e'er before. What nosotros do matters, and we can teach our children that what they do matters. Gandhi's directive to first with the children triggers a ripple effect, encourages us to look farther upstream, and starts with the perky, resilient developed reading this email.

Thanks to peacemaking,

powellbunpremong.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.morganmurals.com/uncategorized/peace-takes-flight-oak-elementary/

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