Gualala Arts Promoting public interest and participation in the arts since 1961
| Register by: | May 8, 2015; after that, check availability |
| Tuition: | $50 members; $65 non-members |
| Materials fee: | $25 |
| Materials: | small sharp pointed scissors, needle nose pliers |
Join this class and learn to make beautiful baskets from pine needles. Using the process of coiling, you will be taught to weave swirling, interlocking stitches. You will learn how to begin a basket both around a centerpiece and with a thread wrapped center, how to add beads and other decorations, and how to do a wrapped coil.
This class is appropriate for beginners and other basket makers who would like to learn a new technique. (Motivated children 11 and older are welcome upon approval of the instructor.)
About Gerda Randolph
The opportunity to be creative and continually learn as I experiment with new ideas and possibilities is what makes my art fun for me. It is always a new adventure. Natural material is my chosen medium, from minerals and rocks formed deep in the earth to soft wool fleeces and yarns to pine needles, wild iris, and other plant fibers, all of these in a wonderful array of colors.
When I make a coiled basket, the knowledge that I am sharing in an ancient process brings me pleasure. It is not, however, my desire to imitate the beauty of those who have gone before me, but rather to make baskets that let me explore my own creativity. When I make a basket, it seems to take on a life of its own. I may begin a basket with an idea, but then as I work, I often hear an inner voice that leads me in directions that are new and different. I am learning to listen to that voice and to flow with it.
There is something special about the feeling of gently cradling a basket in your hands. They are meant to be held, admired, and used as containers for your things and also your dreams.
For more information, visit her website, Fiber Design by Gerda.
