a series of embroidered prayer flags with intention
Wishes or prayers? Are they the same thing? Taking the essence of the Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags - 5 flags representing the 5 elements with each element having an associated colour. For each of these I stitched - using French Knots - the silhouette of a representative animal on the endangered list.
There are so many species on the brink of extinction due to hunting, habitat loss and trade in body parts for medicines that we've reached a critical point in the history of human encroachment on wild nature.
When intending, thoughts need to be turned into positive intentions in the now. While I stitched each of these iconic species I also intended a world with huge areas of wild, just for the wild. A world where habitats and animals are honoured and protected by all. A world with thriving, balanced and diverse eco systems.
I haven't counted how many Wishes (aka French knots) make up each silhouette - a lot! Each flag took approx. 20 hours to make, that's 20 hours of slow, quiet stitching, 20 hours of positive intending, 100 hours in total over many months.
Space - Blue - Leopard - representing the big cats. All big cats are endangered due to hunting and habitat loss. They need space to live. All are keystone species - a thriving big cat community is an indicator of a balanced and
thriving eco system.
Air - White - Giant Ibis - representing the many endangered birds.
Of course birds are masters of the air. They have flight and often have huge ranges, especially migratory birds. This makes them vunerable to hunting, habitat loss and pollution. Even eco friendly wind turbines can be a threat.
Fire - Red - Gorilla - represents the great apes, so many of which are critically endangered due to habitat loss and hunting. Powerful and yet gentle creatures, they play a crucial role in biodiversity, roaming through large territories helping to spread fruit tree seeds.
Water - Green - Turtle - represents endangered ocean species and the oceans they live in. Covering 70% of the planet only 3.4% of our oceans are protected, and then mostly in name only. Ocean plants produce half of the world's oxygen and absorb nearly one-third of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions. They regulate our weather and form the clouds that bring life giving fresh water.
Earth - Yellow - Rhino - represents all animals hunted for their horns. Very few rhinos survive outside reserves and national parks in Africa and Asia these days. Even in these ‘protected' places they're still hunted and most are on the critically endangered list. After 40 million years on this planet the Northern White Rhino is just about to go extinct, solely down to mans actions over the last 100 years.
But lets end on a positive note, please imagine and intend with me...
“A world with huge areas of wild, just for the wild.
A world where habitats and animals are honoured and protected by all.
A world with thriving, balanced and diverse eco systems.”
Do you love wild, wild nature?
Can you help with it's conservation?
Please donate to The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation working to protect endangered species. Founded in 1984 by wildlife artist and conservationist, David Shepherd CBE, DSWF has been working to protect endangered wildlife for over 30 years and has been pivotal in many areas of conservation, read more here.
What do you think?
I'd really appreciate your feedback.
As an artist living in the wilds of southern Spain I rely on the internet a lot to learn about the world and interact with fellow eco advocates.
Please leave a comment below telling me what you think of this exhibition;
Did it get you thinking?
Did you already know about the endangered species?
Have you heard about positive intending before?
Or whatever you'd like to talk about,
many thanks, Laura x
I really appreciate your approach to raising awareness through your wonderful pieces of textile art - it's changed the way I develop my creativity and I look forward to seeing more 😊 Jan Aw thank you Jan, I so appreciate your feedback and that you have connected with my art. To know your creativity has been influenced by it is really special, let's spread the word... ;-)
