Olive

The olive’s origin as a symbol of peace can be traced back to ancient a Greece and Rome. It not only symbolizes peace, but victory, fidelity annd strength, friendship, cleansing, light, reconciliation, and richness in different cultures and religions. Olive branches are found on the UN flag, representing the organization’s dedication to maintaining world peace. The image can be found on coins, coats of arms, police patches, and badges all throughout the world.

Given all of that symbolism, it seems fitting to consider the olive in these troubled times of conflict, division, and war. Peaceful efforts to resolve issues is so very much needed. 

This piece took much longer than my goal of five minutes. I got W-A-Y carried away with painting meditative watercolored branches of olive leaves and thinking about love, peace, and resolution. “Lyrics” may as well be a permanent prompt for me because they show up in most of my journal entries, and these are particularly loved classic songs. It’s also kinda funny that my first thought was to draw a martini, as I vividly recall my mother drinking them with speared olives during cocktail hour. 🍸