Inspired by Norwegian Reality TV, I Made a Basket Entitled "Midnight Sun"

Once I have a basket design in my head or at least have an idea, I usually listen to books on CD while I weave, but this time I was glued to my computer. I had no idea that I was about to join 2.5 million Norwegians who were watching their public TV (according to ABC News).

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My cousin Per sent me the link to "Hurtigruten: Minute to Minute," a 134 hour documentary of what is called "The Worlds Most Beautiful Sea Voyage.” People have been traveling up the Norwegian coastline since 1893 and I was about to join this voyage from my kitchen! I followed the map as the ship as it travelled from Bergen, up the coast between islands, to the way-northern port of Kirkenes.

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As I worked on the basket, I saw what the 22 cameras saw, documenting the trip. The country had been alerted to the NRK project and all along the way, people cheered and waved flags from land and boats. Because the cruise ran during the longest days of the year, filming was possible 24 hours a day. They say in Norway that on June 21st it is so light that you can read the newspaper outside at midnight. My work schedule was such that it was often quite late over there, hence the rosy glow in the photos I caught off the computer:

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The ship passed Ålesund, a town known for it's dried and salted cod, “klippfisk.” (Here they're drying in the sun.)

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There were serene views of wave-washed rock and hazy, snow studded mountains.

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I watched and wove, on and off for 4 days, often just listening to the waves and sea.

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After a while I realized that the basket had taken on characteristics of the boat (notice the shape of the hull), the water colors, and the warm glow from the midnight sun on the landscape.

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The basket measures 14.75" x 13" and will be on exhibit at the Shaw Cramer Gallery this July.

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**With the exception of the basket shots, all the photos that appear above, were taken off the computer as screen shots courtesy of NRK's TV broadcast.

I'm a Color, Texture, Pattern Nerd

My sister and I were in Hawaii recently. One afternoon I paused to look at a small, showy garden, but it was this fresh, new shoot, that kept me there enthralled. The closer I looked, the more details I saw and the more interested I got. I lost myself in looking at the subtle colors and patterns. One day we took the road to Hana and stopped at the Ke'anae Arboretum. This was the highlight of the trip. There were Rainbow Eucalyptus trees, gingers, tree jasmines, bamboos and a favorite, a Blue Marble Tree with bright blue, one inch seeds.

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On the way to the airport, we had our only rain. The fuzzy light and soft colors appealed to me as much as the sun appealed to the sunburnt tourists we left behind.

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On the way home from Maui, I stopped in TX to visit a close friend and her husband. As part of my sight seeing tour in Amarillo, we went to Tri's Market. There, I was beside myself in the produce section! I know that I puzzled a few shoppers and employees by photographing the fruits and vegetables, from Daikon,Taro and Sugar Cane (pictured) to Dragon Fruit. These natural palettes and surfaces, and all the graphics they conjured in my head, created an excitement for me unparalleled by the finest art museums. Some could say that I'm easily entertained, but I'd respond that I feel all the richer for it.

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I am an artist not because of what I create, but because of how I look at the world. In exchange for opening my eyes and becoming vulnerable to the environment, I receive the best and worst of what's out there. I choose to delight in what I see; the colors soothe and inspire me, the textures intrigue me, and I see patterns forming everywhere. All together, they help me keep my balance when crowds get to be too much and the world starts to spin. (Emma and Kitt help as well, but in a different way.)