500 Baskets: A book to inspire.

When I need inspiration in my basket-making, I turn to "500 Baskets: a celebration of the basket makers art", Edited by Susan Mowery Kieffer, published by Lark Books of New York in 2006. the works there are awesome and awe inspiring.

Three examples are shown here. Brian Jewett's basket is made from garden hose, cable ties and valve handles. "Both the cactus form and the garden hose are strong water symbols, speaking to both conservation and consumption."

The work of Joan. E. Scantz, made from peeled and unpeeled willow, is much more traditional in style, but is a particularly striking example of how traditional styles can be so modern too.

Leslee Ann Burtt's work uses the traditional materials of seagrass, reed and cedar bark and couples them with a mule-deer antler in a striking and evocative manner.

These are just three examples of the works in this wonderful book. My work can only be a pale shadow compared to such expertise, design, and creativity.

Black Forest head

As I said in my etsy description of this item, my identical twin brother gave me this head in the 1960s since "It reminded him of me." I suggested that he look in the mirror if he wanted to be reminded of me.

I placed it in the "vintage" section of my shop and made a guestimate of what it might sell for. In 1966, when we lived in the McGill student ghetto in Montreal, a visiting fellow student, Mhorag, felt this head as she searched for the bathroom light-switch in our appartment. I can still recall her scream!