Each of my pieces have been made by my hands, slowly, one item often taking many hours, sometimes days. They are woven in my Cornish studio, situated at the very heart of our smallholding. The process is organic and follows the seasons, with the willow grown in the field from Spring to Autumn, harvested by hand during the winter months and stored in the draughty long barn to dry for several months before being soaked and sometimes steamed prior to weaving. This process means that willow harvested in one year will not be used until the following year.
My work aims to foster a love of willow and oak through my uniquely designed baskets, wall hanging shelves and table lamps. Each of these designs combine my homegrown willow with reclaimed chunks of oak (rescued from build projects) and oak barrel staves (rescued from redundant oak barrels from the brewing industry). My weaving style uses frame basketry alongside wire and willow supports to provide clean, circular lines, forming a united theme across my range of products. I also highlight the knots, cracks and gnarls within the oak to provide feature points of interest, viewing these as integral to the piece.
My making is coupled with teaching to share the craft, and I offer a range of learning opportunities within my home studio, from a deeper delve into the craft in my basketry school, to experience and celebration weave days, information about which can be found on my website.
