This Year's Flags by Connie Tiegel

  Every year I make 3 artcloth flags to fly in my back yard. I began more than 20 years ago after a trip to Bhutan where there were large flagpoles everywhere with long vertical flags flying to catch the wind and disperse prayers to the universe. I was captivated by the idea and when home again decided to carry that idea into my backyard and life. When making the flags I reflect on world situations or events close to home. 

This year I am thankful for all the rain we received during the winter, even though the storms did damage to much property and lives. The winds destroyed two of my flag poles and shredded two of the three flags. I intentionally leave them up in the winter to watch the effects on silk. Usually the silk lasts well through the winter and when I replace the old flag with the new, I wash the old flags, cut them into strips, braid the strips into l ropes then wind the ropes into very large balls. I have used the balls in photography books I make. 

This May I shibori dyed 3 separate 3 yard pieces of silk charmeuse with 3 color schemes: yellow/green, red/purple, and blue /violet.

On the first flag I stamped on a full surface design, (same stamp over the whole piece). This gave a cohesive background and suggested a bold foreground. I finished with applique of large flower petals. The second flag I used some branches from the garden and a gelli plate to make the background and added gold foil to sparkle in the breezes that blow every afternoon.  Butterflies and bees were stamped onto the surface of the third flag in gold paint. The flags not only send prayers of thanks to the universe this year for breaking the drought and giving us water but they bring us pleasure throughout the year as we watch them move in response to the wind and sun.