Basketeering with Mrs. Driggs.

I had a great day making baskets, while social distancing, with a friend. Kristin came over and we watched an amazing video lesson from the Craft School of Oz. They sell demonstration tutorials of basket making strategies. It was great to see Kristin, and she brought flowers and snacks! If you can't attend a seminar in Australia, the internet can deliver the seminar to you.

I was telling her about a basket making meeting which I attended several years ago. The teacher was a woman from the Miwok tribe. She brought her daughter and her granddaughter to help demonstrate at her lecture. She talked a lot about foraging for materials and fibers, and the dangers that pesticide spraying brings to foraging. She also mentioned that in her tribe, basket makers say a prayer before beginning each work session. They also never work on baskets during their menstrual cycle, and they never work on baskets when angry. I remember taking notes in my sketchbook. 

After Kristin left, I started digging through half a dozen old sketchbooks to find my original notes. I couldn't find them. And, I got sidetracked looking through all of my old ideas, artist talks, glaze logs, weekend classes, book club notes, and drawings. 

We also talked about the telephone wire basket makers in Africa. I had spoken to a few makers at craft fairs and flea markets, and they had shown me their method. They drill holes at the bottom of a metal or enamel bowl. They start the rim of the basket first, then they twine the basket until they form the bottom. The coiled baskets in this tutorial today, were worked from bottom to top. 

Anyway, I hope to use some of the skills that I learned, and I will probably view the tutorial lesson over and over, until I figure things out. Because, I don't want to be mad when I'm working! What a great, creative way to spend the afternoon!