"For Peace"

[pigma]

Hello, everyone.
My name is shikuri.
I am pigma's girl friend.

My father is the pastor of Anglican Church.
However, I am an atheist.
However, I made this picture this time for the prayer.
This picture is presented to the general people of Iraq which may fall victim to war after this, and an American soldier. :o
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200303/user_image-1047677126uti.jpg
A touch like this Etching processed and made "Pattern0metal "No. 24 of a material. ;) ;) ;)

My & pigma's 100% Zbrush Gallery (http://www.renderosity.com/gallery.ez?ByArtist=Yes&Artist=pigma)

[Frenchy Pilou]

Hi Shikuri
Reason failed :(
Diplomacy failed :(
We are dancing on the Volcano ! :mad:
Silly medieval world :(
What can we Do ?

Art for dreaming ? :rolleyes:

In any case great etching picture :tu:
Pilou

[Gerlon]

Wonderful image :tu: :tu: :tu:
I am also an atheist, though I can certainly appreciate religious art such as this.
I actually just got back from a peace rally, so this is nice timing. Tommorow I go to Washington DC! :D :D :D

[Flycatcher]

Beautiful picture Shikuri and a cleverly applied etching technique. :tu: :tu: :tu:

I too am an atheist, but like you appreciate the symbolic power of religious imagery. I also share your dismay regarding the impending débacle. And I similarly empathise with Pilou's sense of frustation - although at least his Prime Minister is making a stand. Sadly our Tony Blair seems deaf to the wishes of his own electorate and many of his own ministerial colleagues, whilt trotting blithely along on George W Bush's leash lead it where it may. What indeed can we do? I am no fan of Saddam and would gladly see him deposed or somehow removed from the face of the planet, but I find it hard to accept the suffering this war will bring to innocent people of all nations involved with no apparent legitimate immediate cause or justification. And if the worst scenario occurs and it goes ahead without UN sanction, I fear the consequences for future international diplomacy. I'm sorry to go on - I'm not normally a political person, but this situation truly saddens and angers me.

[Sarum]

great picture as usual ... and about war, the only thing i have to say is that iraq is a very old place ... in its ground is burried some of the oldest evidences of our past.
for each bomb that will fall, it is may be an answer that will be lost forever.

[ZGplay]

Nice pictue!

I don’t like war. I like peace. And I am not American I'm not normally a political person.
However, I don’t understand
Why people do not give pressure Sadam to disarm, or step down.
It seems to me that people are helping Sadam,
and also promoting war by giving wrong message to Sadam.

:) :confused:

[gummie]

Shikuri, you have managed to capture the early look and much traditional feel of early Christian illustrational work. I think you are a great artist and very much in touch with the work that your are putting forward despite non religious beliefs.

I too can appreciate the image that is conveyed not necessarily personages when the element and persona are so synonomous (synonyms of each other; alike) :). It lies with great depth of understanding of both the human character and the one beyond our grasp; even though we do not see this in a material sense we can see what it stands for and hopefully that is a light that is good.

For example, god not as an entity first but as a character, is the great answer for the sanctity of our reality and human experience. :) We can achieve inner peace and experience that ourselves, to know that good always equals a right/correct character.

I too have briefly looked over Buddhist beliefs and while I think it is in the wrong direction to move against one's self as the source of suffering, it is important to enhance one's natural aptitudes if these are grounded in reality. This has led me to the realization of the importance of character, not entities, as the primary textile (touchable) value to the spiritual expression. This is perhaps the elevated value of self expression, where it is always evident in one's work through honesty with one's self which leads to character recognition and premonition of others. Some may call it enlightenment, others call it genius but it is perhaps a specialization of direction that is the essence of one's soul, whether characteristic or materialistic/textile (to touch). :)

The key is to learn to recognize the underlaying character of a work in making an analytical decision.

PS, :tu: :tu: :)

[ZGplay]

***12375;***12367;***12426;***12373;***12435;***12289;***19978;***12398;***12467;***12513;***12531;***12488;***12399;***36020;***26041;***12395;***21521;***12369;***12390;***26360;***12356;***12383;***12 418;***12398;***12391;***12399;***12354;***12426;***12414;***12379;***12435;***12363;***12425;***24746;***12375;***12363;***12425;***12378;***12290;

***12371;***12371;***12399;***19990;***30028;***20013;***12363;***12425;***20154;***12364;***26469;***12390;***12356;***12427;***12398;***12391;***12385;***12423;***12387;***12392;***12371;***12398;***27 231;***20250;***12395;***30097;***21839;***12395;***24605;***12387;***12383;***12371;***12392;***12434;***36848;***12409;***12390;***12415;***12414;***12375;***12383;***12290;***21453;***35542;***12434; ***32862;***12365;***12383;***12363;***12387;***12383;***12398;***12391;***12377;***12364;***40665;***27578;***12373;***12428;***12383;***12424;***12358;***12391;***12377;***12290;

:)

[juandel]

another wonderful piece (for peace :)), Shikuri! you not only are very apt at japanese traditional style for sure :D the use of the material to get that copper plate look is fantastico - have you made a greyscale version, too? atheist or not, in a world of disinformation and the pressure to black/white thinking to cover up ones own confusion, a creative prayer like yours to what/whomever is a great technique to keep a clear mind and soul. kudos!

- juandel

[ivan louette]

Hi Shikuri,

very nice image. I am also an atheist but I respect religion and prayer, and your prayer is very human and sensible. Thanks for it and for your courage to post it.

I have nothing against american nor iraqi's peoples. Only too much power there in too few hands on the two sides (where is democracy?)

Kindly,
ivan

[pigma]

Hi ZGplay.
You do not think that you are in ignoring.
There is no problem. ;) ;) ;)
However, I only have the thought thing.
I think that the artist should be no political.
The report by the mass communication has already been distorted.
I know neither Saddam Hussein's real image nor Geoege H W Bush Jr's real intention.
However, it is true only that the people who do not know anything are sacrificed.
I think that praying is one of the work of the artist.
This prayer is an act which exceeds each religion. �@�@

:rolleyes: shikuri�@�@�@�@�@�@�@�@�@�@�@�@�@�@�@�@�@�@�@�@�@

[ivan louette]

Shikuri, your words are as nice as your images!

Kindly,
ivan

[Jaycephus]

Excellent work, and I love the technique. :tu:

I'm not sure what Frenchy's politics are, but I agree with him that diplomacy, in terms of paper agreements, twelve years of half-enforced and oft-violated sanctions, and on-and-off-again inspections, has failed. I have seen estimates that 2000 Iraqis die each month under the current sanctions due to mal-nutrition or easily prevenatable disease. These deaths are occuring right now and will continue to occur if sanctions continue.

I see two ways to have the sanctions lifted. One is to just lift them and let Iraq go its way. This would make the UN a bigger farce than it already is. We currently have Iraqi officials threating their own people with promises to attack them with chemical weapons if the Coalition forces attack. The biggest selling pet in Iraq right now is the parakeet, which are useful for detecting gas attacks. The inspectors continue to find proscribed weapon systems that were never declared by Iraq. Yet we are told that inspections are working. If they are working, it is only in the sense that they are proving that Iraq is continuing to create bio/chem weapons, conceal them, and lie about their existence.

The other way to get rid of the sanctions is to get rid of Saddam.

The Gulf War was fought as a UN-sanctioned operation to free Kuwait, unlike the U.S.-bombing of Serbia under President Clinton, about which the anti-war groups were almost entirely silent, at least here in the U.S. And at the end of the Gulf War, a 'cease fire' was agreed upon on certain provisions. Iraq has repeatedly violated or ignored those provisions, and a case can be made that it is time to end the cease-fire.

Given that inaction is resulting in 2000 deaths per month, at some point the math alone dictates that some sort of action is necessary. At what point does the death-toll in Iraq due to 'diplomacy' begin to exceed the realistic estimates of the death-toll of a coalition invasion?

I respect the opinions of those who are truly anti-war, regardless of the politics involved, and I would fight and die in a war for your right in this nation to say what you want to say, even if you would never fight for yourself. But, I do not hear about the death-toll of Diplomacy from those leaders and celebrities who speak for the anti-war movement, perhaps because the leaders of the current movement are far from sincere. These leaders are far-left in their politics, and tend to be silent when war is waged by national leaders or insurgents on their side of the political spectrum. But suddenly war is 'bad' when it is proposed or waged by someone on the opposite side of the political spectrum. Are they protesting al Qaeda's war against the West? Are they sending peace-faxes to nations that harbor terrorists bent on attacking Western targets? Are they protesting the Palestinian war against Israel? Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen.

It has been stated that War is Diplomacy by other means. At this point, I now find myself to be in favor of 'other means'. It is a terrible shame that the world could not have come together on this. If we had presented a united front to Saddam, he would have had no choice but to go into exile, and war and its attendent death and miseries could have been averted. Instead, ironically, the anti-war movement has given him hope that he can inflict enough casualties and induce the American people to bring our troops home before they succeed in defeating him. The only way that he can do this is by using chemical or bioligical weapons, which even the inspectors admit that he has the ability to produce on a moment's notice, even assuming that he does not already have stocks saved up and the weapons to deliver them. The anti-war movement has virtually guaranteed a potentially terrible war. :(

[gummie]

Jaycephus, I fully agree 100% with your stand for war at this point and the continual failure of the UN to enforce its own sanctions and resolutions against Iraq.

I also believe that diplomacy is always the silent killer - what happens when people are constatnly massacred under the cover of national security while in a war we are given global statistics. Where are the statistics for failed diplomacy over the situation in Iraq if the human toll cost is the issue?

I believe that this current anti-war sentiment has only been fanned by people's own natural anti-war syndrome. The longer this tarries on, the more people will become inclined towards fear and boiling the war out of proportion when it is really the people of Iraq that have been and are being the victims by thousands in Iraq under the regime daily.

I have watched this syndrome evolve from post resolution 1441 to today in my own family due to the constant media coverage of increasing anti-war protests and newspapers. Basically fear of this war has taken front page to what really goes on behind the scenes. Playing hide and seek with weapons inspectors, and a systematic process of exterminating resistance to the regime.

I think the UN is either kidding themselves about the weapons or is not serious about directly handling the matter which results in tossing the hot potato and more resolutions.

In the long run, a quick cut at this tumour will prevent the deaths of many more civillians as well as permanently removing the weapons issue. There is no democracy without responsibility. There are also those who say that democracy never comes from the outside but that is an oxymoron statement because democracy first of all lies in giving those people a choice, whichever it may be.

I agree, the right of the free thinkers and the artisans has always been bought in blood. It's the way Hitler was stopped and the only difference with Saddam is that he never quite got his war machine off the ground. Peace at the cost of human lives is only a delusion.

[Belleski]

Shikuri I just love your work. Thanks for the tip about the material. ;) :tu: :tu:

[ZGplay]

>It is a terrible shame that the world could not have come together on this. If we had presented a united front to Saddam, he would have had no choice but to go into exile, and war and its attendent death and miseries could have been averted.

I agree that this is very important point.
I sincerely hope that we still have the chance of being united.


:)

[Antimorph]

I can't imagine how it is possible to prevent 'weapons-of-mass-destruction' getting into the hard working hands of the religiously insane at some point. I also don't understand at all how making war will delay or prevent this from happening.

I really am hoping that one of those asteroids comes along first and wipes us all out. I find far more justice in that end game than living in a world run by all these mad freaks.

Lovely image btw.

Me pops off whistling "Imagine"

[Gerlon]

I agree with all points made here. I would just like to mention that from what I understand of the situation, post-war Iraq will be far more hellish to live in than pre-war Iraq. We are facing the prospect of creating another Afganistan. I won't go into any details. Also I've been shocked at how little coverage the anti-war protests have recieved. When 100,000 people gather to voice their opinions on the war it should certainly make the front page.
BTW Antimorph, while your point is quite valid it must be remembered that Saddam is not 'religiously insane'. His actions are not at all driven by his religion, they are driven by a desire for power. He envisions himself at the head of a ressurected Persian Empire. Its Osama bin Laden and his followers that are religiously driven. That is why they are so much more dangerous.

[Nemo]

Lovely work,

this style is very different from what im used to - me likes :)

A beautiful picture in a moment of pity - maybe there is still hope.

:tu: :tu:

[ZGplay]

Gerlon,

It is interest point about religion.

>I would just like to mention that from what I understand of the situation, post-war Iraq will be far more hellish to live in than pre-war Iraq.

If you don’t mind, I would like to know your views about this opinion.
Probably at the Community Forum.

[Frenchy Pilou]

Words are words, deads are deads !
And I am affraid that the numbers of deads (present or future) will be more important (in any meanings) that the numbers of words !
Alas I can't say "have a nice day" :(
Pilou

[+Lazarus+]

What's done is done. We couldn't get our Prime Minister to not go with war, and I doubt we'll be able to stop it or finish it faster than we'd like. Personally, I pray Saddam loses his peoples and armies faith and they choose to end the war for him, cus there's certainly no way we can withdraw now it's started.

Who knows, maybe saddam will choke on a fish finger or something :confused:

Ahhh dictators... Who needs em?

[boozy floozie]

There will never be peace in the world untill the human brain developes to a higher state of consciousness.

Now when's that going to happen?

I find it overly simplified to see crowds of ant-war protestors demonstrating for peace with so much extreme anger when they come largely from privelaged pockets of the world where they're material benefits and quality of life come from a constant secret and on-going war - that of imperialist capitalism. The western and developed countries against the war are as equally guilty of this and their motivations just as suspect.

This ethical highground is meaningless untill the bigger picture is realised.The middle way is the only way and self righteous liberalism or extremism of any form are as equally abhorent for they deny us of our humanity and true natures.

Already through the horror of this and other recent world events I can see glimmers of hope and a change in world consciousness.

However this will never heal if any doctrine based on hate is allowed to ravage like a cancer in people's hearts.

[Antimorph]

I wonder if anyone else is thinking that Saddam is gonna hit that red button and instantly make a million muslim martyrs just as the "coalition" gets close enough to feel the backwash?

"No one could have predicted".., they'll say. "How could we have known?". "Madman Saddam... Unpredictable" repeated over and over and over again until the flock of sheep (baaaaaa) that voted him in get over their revulsion and back to 'work'..

I only wish I was there to see the procedure on dubya's face when he finally realises what he's done, and then in the next instant realises that there is not, in actual fact, any God; to dash 10 seconds later back to that comforting and not necessarily dubious embrace of self deception.

The full irony of "smart precision weapons" being used on a city about to be decimated by "weapons of mass destruction" (I believe he has them) shouldn't really escape anybody.

If I was mad like Saddam this is exactly what I'd do. Maybe I'd even get out of there first.

[Bidiot]

Your neighbour is a known killer. He threatens you and you find things damaged around your home .

What do you do?

Kill him? Then your other neighbour would then have a known killer (you) beside them and they will have the same problem.

Talk to him? Show him that things can be resolved without killing?

But he won't listen, he doen't understand.
So do I become like him because he can't understand?

Do you hit a child because they don't understand what you say?

If you do, does the child learn to be better than you?

If you want your neighbour to change, you have to trust that being a better person will in the end win. You protect yourself as best you can from his attacks, and continue to behave as that better person.

However,you must first believe what your neighbour doesn't - being forgiving,kind and respectful is the only path to a better future.

Lets hope that a nation in our future can teach the rest of the world this lesson.

[aurick]

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