|
Today we meet Elise Thornton, Basketmaker
Q :: Describe the art you create.
ET :: I make willow rib style baskets and other vessels of various barks and natural materials.
Q :: What is your background/how did you get into making art?
ET :: I took my first class in 1985 learning to make baskets of reed from Southeast Asia. I did this for several years and improved techniques to the point where I could sell my work locally. Building an inventory of supplies was costly. My aha moment came when I learned that willow baskets are made from materials that can easily be grown or wild harvested, and I lived in an area surrounded by wetlands!
Q :: What sort of training or skills are necessary to make the art that you do?
ET :: I was fortunate to find willow classes at Sievers Fiber Arts School in Door County. To learn basketry you must find a basketmaker who teaches and in the case of willow, grows enough to supply classes. I started taking classes in willow basketry and got cuttings to start my own plants. I also learned to identify the 6 wild willows that I could harvest locally. Each type of willow I use has its own characteristic, color, length or thickness. I don’t believe that there were many growers in the early 90’s. I continue to take classes every year and now work with a variety of barks and fibers.
Q :: What is the most satisfying part of making your art?
ET :: The harvesting of the plant materials used in basketry is part of what I enjoy the most about my art.
Q :: What is the most important tool to making your art, the one you couldn’t live without?
ET :: I have always done handcrafts. In basketmaking, my hands are my most important tool. You can follow directions in a book but only with a teacher can you learn the proper feel of the material, flexibility, moisture, texture are all tactile sensations and at times the hands have a better memory than the head. I get a lot of satisfaction from the feel of the materials and coaxing them to do my bidding. After the First World War “shell shocked“ soldiers were taught to weave baskets as therapy. The repetitive weaving calms the nerves.
Q :: What materials do you create with or what new materials/styles are you most excited about?
ET :: Willow that isn’t fresh must be soaked to return it to it’s flexible state. If it’s not properly rehydrated it‘s too stiff and breaks. Soaked too long and the bark peels off when it’s used to weave. It’s a plant and starts to decompose. Dried willow must be soaked 4 days to 2 weeks, so planning ahead is essential. I keep some willow frozen to use right away when I need it. When I don’t have willow ready to use, or I want to give my hands a rest, I work with willow bark or birch bark because the weaving techniques are different, and in some instances are more versatile.
Q :: What sort of themes/motifs do you incorporate into your art?
ET :: I don’t put a signature on my baskets but often include some embellishment.
Q :: How often do you make art?
ET :: I do some basket work every day - maybe an hour, maybe 8 hours - whatever I have time for or am motivated to work on to finish. Some of my work is seasonal. Willow is harvested In fall and early winter, and I enjoy using it fresh. In December and January I spend a lot of time making frames for future baskets. They must be dry and rigid to use. If I’m in a hurry I’ll bake them dry, otherwise they take about 2-4 months to dry. In the late spring, willow (from 2-10 year old plants) and birch bark can easily be harvested. The bark can be taken from a birch tree without killing it. In summer, spruce roots and grasses can be harvested and dried. In between projects I spend time processing materials, peeling roots and making cordage or cutting bark into strips for projects. I’ll often have 4-8 projects in different stages and alternate working on them.
Q :: If you could give a piece of advice to your younger artist self just starting out, what would it be?
ET :: Looking back at my life in art and craft my only regret it that I haven’t learned more. But perhaps all the things I did led me to enjoying being a basketmaker as much as I do.
Q :: How has Gallery Q helped you on your artistic journey?
ET :: Though I have my work in many places around the state, Gallery Q is my “home base” and the support and camaraderie of this group of artists inspires me to be a better artist.
Q :: What is something in the world that is really sparking your imagination and creativity right now?
ET :: I’ve taken lots of classes with materials that I wouldn’t work with again but two that I’ve tried to fit in are cedar bark woven around a shell and porcupine quill embroidery on birch bark (2nd Saturday in March). As I’ve traveled around the United States I’ve seen the native plants used by indigenous people to create baskets the variety is amazing. There is no machine that makes baskets, they are all made by hand. I will be demonstrating at the cultural festival in May, stop and say hello!
Wow! Knowing all of this surely makes you appreciate the time, love, commitment and care that goes into each of these woven vessels. Be sure to stop in at Gallery Q to see the large selection of basketry products that Elise has in stock and mark March 14th on your calendar for Elise's Second Saturday offering and her demo at the Portage County Cultural Festival on May 9th at SPASH!
|
