23 Sept 2013

County Durham (England, United Kingdom)

Today, it was announced the six finalists to competition that will select the flag of the traditional county of Durham. My entry didn't form the selection of finalists, but I'll post it to spread the word about the competition.

My entry was the following:















It's based on the coat of arms of the See of Durham. Its relevance is clear: from 13th to 19th centuries, the county was administered as a county palatinate under the figure of the bishop of Durham. The cross was altered to look like the pectoral cross of St. Cuthbert, a local saint of much devotion and historical relevance to the county. The black diamonds (lozenges) were added to the coat of arms granted in 1961, in reference to the famous coal miners of the region; instead of putting four to six big diamonds, I preferred to put twelve smaller ones, to create a more ornamental design. My entry was, actually, an amalgamation between some early designs, that were composed in a layout that I consider aesthetically appealing. Here are some selected drafts:
Draft #1Draft #2Draft #3

Although my design wasn't selected, I'm glad that all the finalist flags have similar themes to the mine.

Comments are greatly welcome.
The official voting is open, and you can access it in the link (bottom of the page).

3 comments:

  1. I like design C a little. Its a shame your design isn't included as design E is very similar to your first draft, but not as good as your final entry .

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    Replies
    1. Do you really like train wheels, right? ;)

      We can never understand what pass on the head of the judges. I believe they only thought E was a simplified version of my proposal, and adopted simplicity on criteria.

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  2. Hi I found your picture via an internet search for Co Durham coat of arms when choosing some images for some creative art (silk Scarf). I have just read your blog and realised that the design is yours rather than an official version. I am just checking with you (after the event) that I have permission to use it or should I say wear it.

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Every comment is greatly welcome!