Merci and Thanks

“Thank you Letters” is a community art project that is on-going. This means that I use it as a platform to engage people in conversation about gratitude. The project is made of 26 hand embroidered letters on plastic net lobster buoy flags. Sometimes I ask people to spell something that they feel thankful for. Sometimes I spell words myself.I am just back from a wonderful 3 weeks in France – where I used the flags to spell “Merci” (thank you in French). I took these flags around my travels and photographed it in a variety of settings. My favorite is at Charles De Gaulle airport security in  Paris. My bag was being searched and inside the bag was the string of Merci flags. I asked the agent to hold the up so I could take her picture…and she was quite happy to do so. What a HUGE contrast to the attitude of our TSA officials here in the USA.

Merci for Joie de Vie

Merci for Life

Merci for Picasso

Merci for the Canal du Midi

Thank you.

Letter L is for love.

“THANK YOU LETTERS” is an interactive community art project that I completed stitching in January of 2014 as I was heading off to India.

Letter Z goes to India

Here’s how it works -  I ask people to think about something or someone or that they are thankful for. Then I ask them to spell it using an alphabet that I embroidered with cotton floss on lobster flags. Then I photograph the person with their word.This project never really got the light it deserved. So now 2 years later I will travel with it to France – hoping that I can engage people with my elementary French!

Keep Calm and travel on

Stay tuned for photos  – check out my FB page and Instagram: sdhaskell and Twitter @sarahhaskell #thankyouletters

“Thank you Letters” ready to travel!