I've long been fascinated by the rituals and iconography for spiritual or magical work. The solemn imagery captures the imagination and instills a sense of awe or peace. This assemblage combines tiles, mirrors, and beads on a wooden miniature altar to create a sense of reverence. Inside, an old photograph is surrounded by natural and supernatural symbols that invoke a sense of mystery.
Basket 23: oval bread basket with 2-behind-4 border; Old French and steamed brown willow
Basket 22: oval basket with twisted handle and 2-behind-4 border; Old French and steamed brown willow
Basket 20: egg basket with pegged handle and 2-behind-4 border; Old French willow and 9-bark
Basket 19: striped produce basket with 2-behind-4 border; buff willow and Old French willow
Basket 18: mini harvester with improvised border and twisted handle; buff willow and steamed brown willow
Basket 17: tri-color produce basket with 3-rod plain border; buff willow, white willow, and steamed brown willow
Basket 16: egg harvester, with track border and twisted handle; buff willow and steamed brown willow
This morning I harvested hundreds of plums from the backyard tree. Basket 15 did well even if I couldn't fill it to the top with these heavy plums. The handle and base bent to near its limit under the weight of the harvest. In order to really make a proper harvester, I'd probably need 5-foot rods for a more robust frame and handle.
Earlier this week, I ordered a proper set of basketry tools. I got them today and now I feel like a real basket maker.
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| From left, snips, hawkbill knife, 3/8-inch bodkin, 1/2-inch bodkin, and whomper from Tools by Winslow. |
Basket #15 -- produce harvester with track border and twisted handle; buff willow and steamed willow
After not having made a basket in more than a year, I'm ready to resume learning basketry. My next basket will be a flower harvester, which I imagine to be a wide base with a shallow open wall and a large round twisted handle. Something like basket #6, but symmetrical.
I've picked the rods and will begin soaking them later this week so that I'll be ready to weave this weekend.
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| From left, buff willow for the slath; steamed brown willow for the waling; steamed brown willow for the uprights; and a mix of mostly buff willow and some steamed brown willow for the weavers. |
Earlier this week, I received my second order of willow from Bonnie Gale of English Basketry Willows in Norwich, NY. I'm so excited for my next basketry project, but I'm not sure what it will be yet. I'm making one final basket from material I already had because it's been more than a year since I last made a basket.
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| Beautiful colors and a lovely smell. From left, brown, old French, buff, white, and steamed willow. |
Baskets 13 and 14: Pair of wall-mounted produce baskets, made of buff willow and red osier dogwood.
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| Basket 14 mounted on the wall, holding potatoes. |
Basket #12: champagne carrier with French randing walls, track border, and twisted handle; buff willow, steamed willow, and red osier dogwood
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| Here's wishing you find beauty and happiness in 2021. |
Basket #11 -- deep harvester, buff willow and nine bark with French randing walls and twisted handle.
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| This is the last basket I made in Northeast Washington, where I learned to make baskets. |
Basket #10 -- barrel shaped growler carrier, buff willow and red osier dogwood with French randing walls and twisted handle.
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| Front of Basket #10 -- barrel shaped growler carrier; I finally figured out French randing and am happier with the top border! But I made a big mistake with the handle. |
Today I'm processing willow in my second attempt at French randing for a growler carrier. Not sure if I should use all buff willow or add an accent in the waling. We'll see.
Basket #9 -- miniature harvest basket, buff willow and red osier dogwood trim.
