Touched By Design

The Touched by Design Salon show is finished. The weather was almost too good all weekend. Attendance was down from last year, but the quality of those who came made up for that! Philippe Rayer of Croton-on-Hudson, NY catered the event. (There was smoked trout and escargot and ...more!) I sold a few baskets, was asked to make a tiny basket, for a miniatures collection and, I was surrounded by French, Scottish, Indian, Swiss, and Slovenian accents. It was much more fun than doing a craft fair with a hundred other artists. For more information on the four other artists click on this link.

A Field of Baskets, or Baskets as a Garden ...

I'm working on ideas for the Fuller Craft Museum commission. The ideas are coming faster than I can write so I'm going off line to concentrate. I'll be back later today - to tell about the idea on the left and the ones still in my head, but in the meantime maybe this will entice you to return. (The basket on the right shows what the spokes left unwoven looks like, rising up from the top edge of the basket.) The idea on the left may or may not be woven with the "hairy" technique ... Please click here, to read what I posted.

A Free-Standing, Stacked Basket

While talking to a friend about the Fuller Craft Museum Commision, I started doodling. The idea of weaving individual baskets which would be stacked on top of eachother - like stringing beads - came to me. If you can imagine COMPLETELY changing the scale, from beads or desktop-baskets to something approaching people size, the statement becomes more sculptural and less "basket-like." There are technical issues which will need resolving once it gets past a certain size. Whether I make this full size or not, I look forward to weaving a mock-up.

A week on an island off the coast of Norway

The rock is pink granite, it is worn smooth by the crashing waves.

This view is on the far side of the island, facing the ocean. Denmark would be off to the right and far across the sea. It's hard to describe the not-so-quiet magic of a place which is composed of water-tossed rock and sturdy heather. Being in the midst of such natural beauty puts the concerns of commercialism and competition in a distant perspective.

Color and Textures in Norway

I spent the first week of August week in the mountains southeast of Tronheim, Norway. Then we took the train to Oslo and later drove down the coast to the island.

Imagine this as the driveway leading up to your house - beautiful isn't it? This was what we saw as we approached the cabins. It's a 45 minute hike up the mountain from the logging road where we left the car. The group of buildings was built by my grandfather and another man 80 years ago. There was no electricity, or indoor plumbing. We cooked on an iron stove and used candles and kerosene lamps for light in the evenings. It was heaven.

The cabins were built on a small rise just above where the evergreens stopped growing and the birch trees took over. Blueberries, cloudberries, orchids, and ferns grew in profusion. The subtle colors and textures took my breath away.

Where I Get Inspiration

People often ask me where I look for inspiration. Usually I abstractly say my garden, architecture, books, or the newest reed color. A few days ago I wanted to weave a basket because of a friend's painting. Her choice of color combinations, the amount of each color used, and the composition - together motivated me to start a new basket. What I found interesting and sort of amazing (because I hadn't put it together until the basket was finished) was that a few days before, I had bought one of my favorite varieties of orchids. Many of the colors in the orchid, were also in the painting and I had used them in the new basket! Sometimes I'm more aware of the color choices I make, other times I just feel drawn to a particular palette and it isn't until afterwards that I understand where the influence had come from.

Basket Tribute to Leslie Baker

This basket (2 sides of the same piece are shown here) was inspired by Leslie Baker's painting "Blue Shed." She has an opening at the Shaw Cramer Gallery in Martha's Vineyard on July 24th. This basket and a few others will be on display out there as well.

Fuller Craft Museum Update

In April, I wrote about receiving a purchase award from the Fuller Craft Museum, in Brockton, MA. I've started working on designs for them, and have posted a "note" about it. Click here to read about an idea I'm very excited about.

4th of July Flowers For a Party

Blue Lacecap and Annabelle Hydranga, Gooseneck Lysimachia,

and red geranium.

July Double-Wall

In this basket I've used encaustic medium (a combination of wax and resin) melted into the surface of the basket which adds a richer look to the color, actual strength and a more tactile feel to the basket. The basket doesn't have a flat bottom (on purpose) so it will sit slightly off center. The outer basket has a gentle bowl form. Just before joining the inside and outside baskets together at the outer edge, I inserted glass marbles, which will roll around inside adding sound and weight to the basket, as it is handled.