| Jane Wilkinson |
 Jane Wilkinson demonstrating her work It was Jane Wilkinson who introduced me to the wonderful world of willow weaving. I attended a weekend workshop and produced two fantastic baskets (well I thought they were!)? - and that was it.? She shared her skills and experiences both of willow basketry but also growing and cultivating willow and?I was hooked.
(Kate Sankey)
" I was originally drawn to working with willow out of the love of trees and woodlands and also a desire to do something environmentally sesnsitive. Basketry was the perfect solution.? I now grow and harvest an increasingl proportion of my own willow, and then have the pleasure of weaving it into a basket or sculptural piece.?? I have been weaving for 13 years and am constantly learning new techniques which have been used to make a range of traditional baskets. During this time I have travelled in Scotland, Ireland, England and New Zealand, where I have worked with the local crafts people and discovered a great diversity of style and approach.? Once mastered, the skills involved in weaving actually provide me with the freedom for creative expression.? I my contemporary work I feel challenged to preserve, continue and develop the traditional techniques which I have mastered, whilst being inspired to incorporate them into unusual and innovative designs.
I often try to evoke a sense of connection and place with the Scottish landscape from which I obtain my raw materials and inspiration.? I frequently use birch, larch and heather as well as willow in order to bring about variations in teture and colour. A lot of my contemporary work can be of an autobiographical nature, containing references to my daily?life, and in particular my relationship with my daughter, and the processes involed in motherhood."???? |
