Baskets by Vicki Phillips

Take a look at this great basket made by Vicki Phillips, with a dragonfly base from my MakeABasket etsy shop! More photos can be seen in her blog. The Phillips mother/daughter team share all sorts of wonderful things in their blog. To find more basket entries, look at the labels on the right column of their blog, and click on "baskets."

“Basketry: Traditional and Contemporary Woven Art” Exhibition

“Basketry: Traditional and Contemporary Woven Art”
Basketry Exhibition

September 11 – November 11, 2010
Pickens Museum Of Art & History
307 Johnson St.
Pickens, SC 29671
At the Pickens County Museum of Art & History, eight artists from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia are featured in a basketry exhibition of more than forty baskets and woven art.

Opening Reception is Saturday, September 11, 2010 from 6:00-8:00p.m.

Come and meet the artists and enjoy this collection of works from Michael Davis, Barbara McCormick, Gale McKinley, Tika Tucker, Dolores von Rosen, Laura Lee Zanger, Pamela Zimmerman, and Guest Curator Pati English.

From Guest Curator, Pati English: "As Guest Curator, it was my privilege to invite eight artisans to participate in this basketry exhibition. It is my vision that visitors will be amazed and engaged by the scope of artistry and history in hand woven fiber art...The unique display of three-dimensional art is a celebration of beauty and function. Journey through our American heritage, preserving our past, intersecting our present natural world of fiber, and connecting to the contemporary sculptures…”

Call the museum at 864-898-5963 for more information.

I am honored to have six pieces exhibited in this show. I would love to see you at the opening reception, I hope to be there!

Exchange Basket Received: Marianne Barnes to Jessica Pitts

Here's another great basket in our Summertime Exchange, this one from Marianne Barnes to Jessica Pitts.

Jessica wrote:

"Yesterday I received a lovely gourd which had a coiled top/neck which had been woodburned with pictures of seashells and which was adorned with seahorses and shells. I shall add this lovely item to my exchange collection. Thank you Maryanne!!!!!"

Way to go, Marianne! What a cute little gourd...and woodburning is particularly exquisite, it is easy to see that she is a very experienced gourd artist! A wonderful contribution.

Exchange Basket Received: Pamela Zimmerman to Sue Cowell

Here is another exchange basket, this one from Pamela Zimmerman to Sue Cowell.

Sue wrote:

"Yesterday's mail brought me a treasure! And I'm not exaggerating. I received a wonderful piece of coiled sculpture from Pamela Zimmerman, entitled BLUE PEARLY WAVE.

"Unless my eyes decieve me, it's made of brown & blond horsehair, coiled on one of her beautiful pottery bases. The binding material looks to be artifical sinew in blue & white. There is a teeny-tiny horsehair basket on the rim, and tiny pearls sewn where the base meets the coils. I do so hope the pictures do this justice.

"My daughter & I could not agree if it reminds us of the undulations of an octopus or jellyfish swimming, but it definatly looks like motion caught in time. Thank you, thank you, Pamela. I will treasure this."

Well, i'll take that, Sue. Actually, the underwater creature that inspired me was the sea slug. but of course that does not sound as neat as an octopus or jellyfish. But check them out, they are very cool. They come in many colors and shapes and are amazing! Glad you like it.

I hope everyone has enjoyed this exchange, it is almost over!

Exchnage Basket Received: Gerri Swanson to Deborah Groom

There are only a few exchange baskets left to post. Here is a very unusual one, with kelp! From Gerri Swanson to Deborah Groom.

Deborah says: "I received the most exquisite basket today... what a wonderful surprise to find Geri's basket waiting for me when I got home. It really jumped started the summer for me again.

"It is so beautiful and has so many beach gathered elements. She used Torrey Pine pine needles and coiled them in hand dyed raffia. The blue-grey of the raffia was almost identical in colouring to one of the shells in the rim of the basket. The rim also included three other shells and a fourth that was coiled into an unright position using the end of a piece of bullwhip kelp.

"You have to see this piece to admire the craftmanship, the textures, colours and ingenuity. The kelp coils around the basket and has this fabulous bulb head that I first thought was the end of a gourd.


"The center is a sand dollar that is accompanied by two other gift sand dollars, one of them drilled and one not. Talk about feeling spoilt! ...There was even two pieces of sea glass added in the basket.

I just want to say such a big thank you to you Geri for such a beautiful gift. It will be treasured and admired for a very long time. I know it must have been hard to let go of such of special piece. Thank you so much."

What a wonderfully creative basket, i really love the look of the kelp and the kelp bulb. Maybe Gerri will tell us something about the kelp? You lucky, Deborah!

Exchange Basket Received: Janet Bonnell to Gerri Swanson

Here is another Summertime Exchange basket, from Janet Bonnell to Gerri Swanson!

What great color in this one! I love it! Gerri loves it too, she wrote:

"The basket is a beautifully woven brown pine needle basket. It has sliced
shells for the bottom center and for the handles. All pulled together with
perfectly done stitching in 2 different shades of pink waxed linen.

"Absolutely gorgeous work Janet, I thank you! The little silver feather is a
fabulous signature."
wow, i'm loving this! We only have a few more baskets to go, but this seaside theme is really persisting!

Exchange Received: Deborah Groom to Donna in WA

Here is our latest exchange basket, it is by Deborah Groom, and was received by Donna, in WA.
Deborah had a definite idea for her basket, and executed it exactly as she had envisioned! The center and beads are made of polymer clay.

Deborah said: "I based it on tidal pools... I also tried to imitate the kelp and water action by adding many, many coils. I love the play of colours in the water and they way it slips in and out around the pools. The basket is intentionally asymetrical so I hope Donna likes things that are a little different. It is hard not to correct to a proper circle but I like the randomness of asymetry and find it more in keeping with these pools."


Wow, i think you did exactly what you set out to!
pamela

Exchange Basket Received: Pamela Caskey to Karyl Jo Hartsog

Sea Shells continue to predominate in our Summertime Exchange! We have had a few baskets in a row with the seashell theme...this one continues that, but is also like a blooming flower with pinks and greens. It is from Pamela Caskey to Karyl Jo Hartsog.
KJ writes: "I have received my exchange basket from Pamela Caskey. I can not say enough great things about it. I know everybody will get to see the pictures but that is only part of the experience of this basket. I wish I could share the smell and feel of it as well as the looks.


"Pamela started it off with a center of a pin made of sea shells with dainty shell roses. She used waxed linen in two pinks, minty green, turquoise, white and sea green colors. Around the base are long pine needles from Florida. Then she added a marsh grass with the smell of new mown hay.

"On top of that for the rim Pamela uses sweetgrass with it's lovely vanilla scent. It has little Rose quartz hearts on the handles and a mother of pearl butterfly on the front. I just can't keep my nose out of it or my eyes off of it.

"It is truly a work of love. I know it was hard for Pamela to part with it and I feel so lucky to have it.

Thanks so much for hosting Pamela Z. It just gets better and better as we all learn from each other."