A collection of visual basketry reference and research.
Above Native American & Indian research, mainly from a wonderfully in-depth book called Apache Indian Baskets by Clara Lee Tanner.
Above: Research based on very natural materials, grasses and willows. I’m afraid I don’t have full reference but the old reference pic is from Tim Johnston’s Instagram, and the bottom right I believe is his. His instagram is an amazing resource for baskets and basket making!
I would love to do more with natural willow and grasses but I haven’t yet got into it… all the soaking and picking and foraging puts me off!
Above: Playing with shape and form. Once again, I really need to start referencing better! The bottom left is from incredible artist and basket maker Anne Marie O Sullivan. This type of basket research got me really excited at the possibilities (the endless, endless possibilities) when I first discovered the techniques.
Above: Material play.
The bottom left is the wonderful Stella Harding, who I was lucky enough to take a short course with in Morley college in London which was fantastic. The lamps at the bottom are Sebastian Cox, who does beautiful woodwork. Ah, the two on the right are Terrol Dew Johnson, who I don’t know much about but am now going to have to research properly because his work looks Amazing! and he seems v. prolific…). Ah, also the big image is a lovely paper basket by Polly Pollock, who also teaches and has an instagram showing some beautiful work!
I will show some of my basket WIP here.