Blue Vase basket

 Around 2000, I made this basket in a workshop taught by Jiro Yonezawa.

I wish I knew the name of this base.  It starts out as as a hex weave.  There are 36 stakes.  The sides  start out as a 3-3 twill, and becomes a 2-2 twill.

I've been playing with handbuilding clay for awhile, off and on.  This summer, I made a vase using a rock as a mold.  I decided weave the same basket around it.  I don't have any bamboo, so I used some dyed cane. 

Here's the same base.  It's a lot looser than the original because I had to shape it around my irregular 'rock.'

 I did a 3-3 twill, and switched to 1-1 the top. I think turned out very nicely.  At my age, when you haven't made a similar basket in 14 years, you have a little bit of doubt in your mind when you are first starting.

My article in Paper Arts Magazine

 I had an article published in Paper Arts Magazine.  Unfortunately, I can't link you to those pages, but here is a preview.

 Here's where you can buy the magazine:  http://www.interweavestore.com/paper-art-2014-grouped

Indigo Blues

A few months ago, I completed the sash on the right.  It's made of handspun paper cord, woven on a peg loom.  I tried several different ways of displaying it, but was never happy with the presentation.

I had some beautiful indigo dyed watercolor paper that I've been holding on to for at least a year now.  Sometimes when I get good dye results, I hate to cut the paper right away, so I hang on to it until an idea pops into my head.  I decided to work with the indigo blues idea, since this is my current frame of mind.  I cut the indigo paper with my pasta cutting machine, and started out doing a 4-4 undulating twill design from A Handbook of Weaves, but ended up changing it for more interest.

The pressed leaves were a lovely find from MECCA in Eugene.  You can buy recycled items for art projects there, and you never know what you'll find.  I was digging through the natural items basket, and found several plastic bags full of pressed leaves.  Yahoo! 

  

Weird, but cool

A Woven Insect Bamboo Basket from China

 

In  Japanese Gallery, another insect...

Bamboo basketry in Portland

On Sun., I was able to meet bamboo basketweaver Stephen Jensen. I found Stephen's blog several years ago, https://www.blogger.com/profile/04555206656364430174 and was so happy to hear that he has since moved to Portland.

Here is Stephen's blog intro:  After graduating in 2006 from Middlebury College with a double major in Japanese and studio art, I moved to Japan to work for the Oita prefectural government as a Coordinator for International Relations. After two years, I left the CIR position to make more of my painting activities, and came in contact with bamboo crafts through a temporary interpreting job. Hoping to learn a traditional art and utilize my time in Japan, I applied to the Oita Prefectural Bamboo Craft Training School and passed the test to become a trainee for the 2009-10 school year. In the coming year I look forward to acquiring the basic skills of bamboo basketry and seeing how this experience will evolve into a future lifestyle or career.

Made from local bamboo, uncured

I am hoping that he will be able to teach some bamboo basketry workshops for our guild.  In the meantime, here are some of his baskets to admire.

also local bamboo

Aren't they fantastic?