The colors this spring have been intense. I don't know if it's because winter seemed to last forever or if it's because I'm just noticing more. Some days I'm nearly breathless with the beauty. Every day something new blooms along the trails or in my garden. It's been very hard for me to stay inside to weave.
I was supposed to be working on a commission. I had double-dyed a very, dark grey that helped me focus, since I really wanted to work with it. (Sometimes its the colors of newly dyed reed that inspire a basket.) The shape I started to weave was too shallow for the commission, so I changed ideas. Here's what I made. In retrospect, I see the linear, neutral colors of winter accented with the fresh, green leaves of spring (with a little orange for interest).
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After 30 odd years of making baskets and many more of gardening, the idea that I can live a life weaving together the colors I see around me, me makes me pause and think. My life isn't perfect, and I'll probably never have a lot of money, but I appreciate that I have eyes that can see, hands that can make things, and an imagination that keeps me curious and motivated.
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And ... I share this time with Kitt and Emma.
I like this basket better than the previous one with the same colors, and I really like that one! The colors so illustrate winter to spring. It's very fresh and cool.
ReplyDeleteAnd the animals look great, as always.
I'm so glad I tripped upon your blog. I'm going to stay awhile and look around! The images you're sharing that inspire your art and gardening are very similar to what inspires me as well. We've had a very cold wet spring and I've also been anxious to get in the gardens and see them grow. Your basket reminds me very much of my new garden behind our sunroom and what it looked like a few weeks ago: still mostly winter colors with a few green leaves emerging on the geum and one orange flower. Now the orange is bursting! And yes it's great fun to garden with kitties that like people and hanging around.
ReplyDeleteNice article, thanks for the information.
ReplyDelete