Artist's Statement

Silk Road Flowers began in the autumn of 2003 when I needed a flower for a flamenco costume. Finding none, I made one using a hand-dyed silk satin ribbon. Inspired by the beauty and challenged by the process, I made one flower after another by hand, using vintage and modern ribbons and components, at times even hand-painting ribbons or hand-dipping stamens.

Performing as Far'ha for many years, Far'ha has become my creative persona. Far'ha means "Joy!" To my flowers, I bring my joy of dance with a sense of color and composition honed by 30 years of folkloric dance and costuming of the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia and Flamenco. I discuss an example of this in my April 23, 2008 blog article, "Dance of the Crock Pot" on SilkFair

What I have learned and experienced as a dancer and a costumer, informs and inspires my work as a ribbonry artist: As a dancer and as a ribbonry artist, I seek the essence through color, form and movement-thus evoking emotion in the beholder.

To that end, although inspired by Nature's work, I listen to the ribbons before me and allow each ribbon to manifest its own true destiny. Similarly, when working with my clients, I strive to help them manifest their inner selves by expressing their joy of color and playfulness.

And so, upon seeing the flowers for the first time, many will gasp, ooh and ahh, just as ladies in days of old surely must have when merchants presented their wares from their journeys along the Silk Road.

Thank you for sharing a moment in my garden of Silk Road Flowers.