A few years ago I was digging in my garden when I found two small plastic soldiers. I brought them inside and set them on my windowsill. As I looked at them, it seemed as if they were in a perpetual battle. I took a small glass bottle, put a bright sunflower in it and placed it between them. There, I thought, no more fighting. What struck me about this simple tableau, was that peace has to start with a simple act, with a personal act. It really isn't just about the big battles and wars. As it reads on the entablature, "Pax In Parva Integra," Peace in Small Things. Peace starts with me, right here on my windowsill.

This work juxtaposes this simple message against the weighty structure of Western civilization as represented by the classic Greek architectural structure that surrounds the painting. But unlike the typical facade, this one employs toys, and odds and ends found in my home and studio; a distinctly unsophisticated structure upon further examination. This paradox just drives home the message deeper. All those fancy structures don't bring about lasting peace.