SWAG

I am a self-taught basketmaker who uses the coiling technique to create contemporary shapes that incorporate lots of patience, persistence, and imagination. I have been coiling longleaf pine needles for almost 50 years and have shown my work in over 260 national and international exhibitions. I begin the process by gathering fresh pine needles from longleaf pine trees growing in the sandhills of South Carolina. The needles are colored with liquid fabric dyes and acrylic paints and then sewn into coils using hand- twisted strands of waxed linen thread and copper wire. My tools are simple: a large steel upholstery needle and a pair of sharp-pointed scissors. When completed, each piece is preserved with a light coating of beeswax and signed with my initials.I follow no patterns and make no preliminary sketches before I begin a basket. Time is irrelevant whenever I am stitching. The exploration of color, pattern, texture and form keeps me focused on the moment, but always planning for the future.