Barns2Flags.com

Weathered and pitted with history the reclaimed wood of the disappearing Midwest barn is the inspiration and the canvas for Marie Roth's hand painted tributes to Old Glory. Each American flag comes with a short bio of the barn where the wood originated and story of the flag design. From the Betsy Ross to the 50 star, each flag is truly a unique embodiment of history.

 

Marie Roth was featured on Chicago's ABC-7 News, and headlined on the front page of the Chicago Tribune on the 4th of July, 2011. (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-07-03/news/ct-met-flag-lady-20110703_1_flags-century-old-barn-marie-roth)

 

 

Artist’s Statement

 

My work is about old, salvaged wood and the story it tells about a time in our history. I have met the descendants of the original barn owners who has saved the wood for years and I am privileged to share their story. It is an honor to take something that has had a very special place in their family's heart and give it a new life that someone else can enjoy.

 

How I produce it

Once the wood is salvaged and brought back to my home studio I gently wash and clean it. After it dries I lay it out and wait for the wood to reveal the flag I will create. Sometimes it is clear which of the twenty seven flags it should be, other times it takes awhile and waits to become part of another story.

 

What drives me as an artist

I love old wood, I love meeting the owners and family members of barn wood and I love telling their stories. I enjoy relating the family and barn history to the history of our development as a country. And few things in life are more exciting to me than watching paint dry.