A time for baskets

Hand-wrapped baskets from SquareCircleWorks

Easter is coming. This is a traditional time for one of my favorite things... baskets! I spend a lot of time looking at these lovely woven works. What captivates me? Color, shape, texture? Maybe it's the utility of a basket that draws me to it. After all, baskets are relatively light and they can hold lots of stuff!

Maybe there is just something primal about a basket. Did you know that basket weaving may be the oldest form of textile art on the planet? (University of Arizona)

Traditionally, baskets were made of natural fibers - willow, pine needles, and reed, for example. Many crafters still use traditional materials and methods.  Becky Bechtel of BrightExpectations makes beautiful baskets following this style.

Large Woven Reed Storage Basket from BrightExpectations

Deb Grenert of lureart takes the traditional and adds a twist. A basket woven around a piece of driftwood...

Coiled pine needle bowl with driftwood by lureart

Today basket makers have added non-traditional materials to the mix - wire, plastic bags, and magazines, for instance.

Check these lovelies out. How about a basket made of recycled plastic bags?

Recycled plastic bag basket from SARAHRACHA

Here's a cool basket made from junk mail.

Upcycled paper basket from Find Your Happy

I love the fun colors in this yarn basket.

Yarn coiled basket from JCStars

Now THAT's eye candy!

Have a great day, everyone...


Reference:

Womeldorff, Sara. “Basket Weaving: Old Tradition to New Art Form.” The University of Arizona, n.d.

The World of Adity

Meet Adity

During my time overseas, I’ve had the good fortune to meet talented artists and crafters from all over the world. While in Bucharest, Romania I met creative and gracious Adity Chakravarti. Adity has lived - and created - all over the world, accompanying her husband, a diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service.

I recently caught up with Adity, who is now living in Dublin. May I introduce you to the world and work of this inspiring artist?


You have traveled and lived in many places on this planet – China, Switzerland, Bangladesh, Canada, Tanzania, Romania, and now Ireland. How has this transient life impacted your artistic expression?

I am an inquisitive person by nature. I tend to get ecstatic over little things that I see - a pebble on soil, a drop on a leaf, the angle of a face in the right light. So when I move to a new place I like to get out and absorb the sounds and sights around me - then after it has got stored somewhere inside my brain I get an urge to reproduce it in my paintings (or more recently to write about it). In Canada it was the flaming red of maple leaves against a cobalt blue of the sky that got me painting on burnt wood from my fireplace. In Tanzania, I found I was painting images with the orange-brown of the African soil, the lush green of the vegetation, the ebony of the African skin and the brilliant patterns of the garment called 'kanga'.

On a Balcony in Zanzibar - acrylic on burnt wood

In Romania it was impressions of churches, arches, angels and monks in the colors of Maramures in autumn. The visuals have changed each time I have moved with the constant being my medium of acrylic on burnt wood and gouache on paper.

Forever - gouache on handmade khadi paper

What person or place has influenced your art the most?  

Perhaps my father. He was a greatly loved doctor in our hometown, Allahabad, in India. But he was the most incredibly artistic and creative person I have known. I remember him digging out roots of old rose plants from his beloved garden and showing us siblings how to visualize a running horse, a walking man in them. He would then fashion them into beautiful sculptures. He taught us how to arrange a single rose with an arched twig and make it look incredibly beautiful and indeed, to design and redesign our garden, breaking it up into interesting corners and sections. He later designed and got craftsmen to make simple bamboo devices for physically challenged people -  each one effective, cheap and beautiful in its simplicity.  I can go on...

In harmony - gouache on handmade khadi paper

If you could spend time with a contemporary artist or creative person, who would it be?

It would be a miniature painter from Jaipur. I could spend hours watching him (they are usually male painters - the Rajasthani women do exquisite traditional embroidery) move his very fine brush with natural colors over a face, building layers to give depth and contour and then make intricate folds of patterned fabric. I find it mesmerizing. I met one of them Shri Janki Das in Jaipur - he was a simple man and worked out of his tiny, humble home in the middle of a busy bazaar. He had his little desk and a lamp and his paints next to him on a mat on the floor. So no studio, no fuss about privacy and happy to have me (or anyone else) by his side, watching.


You have worked with a variety of media – wood, canvas, gold foil, clay, acrylics, gouache.  Do you have a favorite medium, one you seem to always return to?

I keep going back to burnt wood. I am fascinated by the fact that wood can be carved, burnt, darkened and it exists everywhere. I love the texture it provides. It is wonderful to run your hands over it and feel the very natural medium. I also like to remember the fact that everything in life is transient. And since wood is burnt everywhere - it is a reminder of this simple fact.

Amun Ra in profile - acrylic, gold foil on burnt wood

You recently moved to Dublin.  What do you like most about the city?

I like Dublin (and Ireland) for two reasons. One, its people - they are kind and very friendly. I went to a big supermarket soon after I arrived in Dublin. I was looking for disposable cups. I found a salesman and asked him. He led me to the cups, was apologetic about the slightly high prices and guided me to the cheapest similar product!  I have not seen that happening anywhere else. And two, its proximity to natural beauty. The Wicklow mountains are just 15 minutes from south Dublin. There you have sweeps of moors, mountains dotted with lakes and the incredible bogs. It is breathtakingly beautiful.

Wicklow mountains, Ireland

What three things do you miss most about India?

I miss the warmth of family and stimulation that I get from the almost constant, chaotic movement of such a variety of people as in India. I also miss the cheap street markets and food . And also the presence of beautiful, affordable craft everywhere.

Krishna and Radha - acrylic on burnt wood

What are some of your favorite things to do in Dublin?  Any special spot you would like to share?

I like wandering its streets and stare at beautiful homes and catch glimpses of life going on inside them. I also love to go to Glenmacnass Valley in the Wicklow mountains. It is a desolate, isolated stretch of wild bog land. In the past I had only vaguely read about bogs but did not quite know what it was actually like. It is an incredible scenery - just clumps of low grass and heather bushes - almost miles of it. I sit there by the roadside or in the car, depending on how windy it is (and it can be terribly windy!) and just look. Up there I feel as though I am the only person on this earth and my mind stays strangely empty.

Wicklow mountains, Ireland

I can't wait to see what Adity will paint next. Wicklow mountain landscapes? Whatever she creates, I know it will be beautiful. That's the world of Adity.

To learn more about Adity Chakravarti and to see more of her lovely pieces, visit her at Something Special.

To read about other inspiring artists, click here.

Notes from a Seattle coffee shop

View of downtown from Queen Anne

Today I went to a coffee shop in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle. I had work to do and wanted a place with no distractions. It sounds counterintuitive, going to a noisy cafe, but there is something about being away from home. I find it easier to focus.

I worked, but I also listened. I know I am not supposed to eavesdrop, but I am new here, and I am curious.

El Diablo Coffee Co. on Queen Anne Ave.

I heard a lot in the space of an hour and a half - a conversation among three restauranteurs starting a new venture, an exchange between two gamers developing characters for a story, two men talking about a dance show they were producing, and software developers discussing an app they were designing for a staycations. So much creative energy in such a small space!

As I left the shop later that afternoon, I felt a mix of accomplishment and excitement.  Not only had I finished a big chunk of work; I had been part of something else.  It's hard to describe.  For lack of a better term, I'll call it creative flow.

Welcome to Seattle!

Stephanie Levy - creativity and courage

Stephanie in her studio

When you have a passion for learning and creativity, you tend to meet wonderfully creative people.

Last year I had the honor - and pleasure - to meet American artist and illustrator Stephanie Levy.  Stephanie had traveled from her home in Munich to Vienna, Austria to kick off her ambitious interview project, 12 Countries in 12 Months.  I was lucky to participate in one of Stephane's first interviews.

Since then, Stephanie has developed and launched an online course - Creative Courage - and she has traveled to many of the great cities of Europe: Vienna, Amsterdam, Berlin, Venice, Prague, Lisbon, Barcelona, Budapest, London, Paris, Athens, and Stockholm.

"Vienna" by Stephanie Levy

I am happy to introduce you to this generous and creative soul...

Stephanie, you recently completed groundwork on a fascinating interview project called 12 Countries in 12 Months.  You interviewed artists from all over Europe. What new insights can you share about this project and your journey?

Starting the 12 Countries in 12 Months art + travel + interview project was a truly life changing experience. In 2011, I turned 40 and I wanted to do something special to celebrate that year. Since I was living in Munich, Germany at the time - and living right in the middle of Europe - I decided that I could take a series of short trips and visit a new country each month.

As you look back on those 12 months, what surprises you most about the experience?  

Of course I loved trying out the regional specialties in terms of food, and seeing the beautiful architecture and art of each country. But my travel experience was given the most extraordinary flavor by the people I met. In each place I visited, I interviewed 3-5 creative women about their artwork, and I asked them why they chose to live in the place they were living.

I'm now slowly posting highlights from those meetings on my blogs, and I would love to create a book based on my travels and those interviews in the near future.

On the road to Stockholm

Many women would shy away from traveling solo, even through Europe.  What was it like to travel alone as a woman?

Actually traveling alone was no problem at all. Lots of people mentioned this, but I found it to be easier than expected. Of course, I was especially careful at night, and I stayed in a centrally located hotels or bed and breakfasts. Occasionally, it was a bit of a drag to go out to eat alone - again - but I got used to that too. Often, I had my main meal of the day at lunch or in the late afternoon, rather than in the evening, and that worked quite well.

Most of the time I enjoyed wandering around by myself, going to museums, taking photographs, and being completely in charge of my own schedule for a few days. The scheduled meetings I had with the women I interviewed also kept me from getting too lonely!

How long did you stay in each city?

Normally, I stayed in each city 5-6 days.

As an artist, is there a city that you visited where contemporary art was flourishing?  What about traditional artisan work?

I would say that I felt a special creative vibe in London and Berlin that was very memorable. In certain areas of those cities, it feels like the air is crackling with excitement (which is one reason I moved back to Berlin during the past year!)

"London" by Stephanie Levy

Budapest was a delicious, artsy surprise that I think we will be hearing much more about in the next years. Athens was also wonderful, and I place I'd love to visit again.

"Budapest"

At the same time that you started your interview project, you introduced your Creative Courage e-course.  Can you talk a bit about the course and what inspired you to create it?

I love offering the Creative Courage e-course, and I have learned so much from my participants too! It is all about inspiring one another, celebrating our encouraging community together, and getting the motivation and tools we need to begin our creative projects.

Tools for creative projects

So far, women from over 30 countries from around the world have participated in this 6 week online adventure. Each week, we work on different themes which range from practical business tips to finding and following your individual creative path.

The course is packed full of guest interviews, exercises to get your mind and hands moving, and there is a wonderful supportive atmosphere that fills the class.

You can read more about the next session - beginning January 28th - here... Creative Courage.

Ahhh, the possibilities...

You recently moved to Berlin.  What are a few of your favorite things to do in the city?  What treasures have you discovered there?

I love walking around Berlin, soaking up the vibrant atmosphere, meeting my friends, visiting cozy cafes and fun ethnic restaurants. Berlin is my "soul city" and I'm happy to be living here again! It's hard to really explain why, it is like being in love, it's not completely rational... I have a true love affair with Berlin.

"Berlin"

You have spent many years living in Europe.  How do you think your environment impacts your work?

Yes, I've been living in Europe for over 16 years now (now that makes me sound old!) I still enjoy it, and I don't know if it impacts my work, but it has certainly changed my life.

I moved to Germany when I was 24, fresh out of college, so I've lived here for most of my adult life. It is hard for me to imagine my life without Europe. I'm certainly still American, but Europe has shaped my views about the world I'm sure. I think at this point I'm somewhat of a hybrid. Or a mutant :)

What three things do you miss most about the States?

Cranberry juice (although we have that here too now), going out for giant American breakfasts at diners with pancakes and the works (actually in Berlin you can supposedly find that now as well, I must check it out...), and good, authentic Mexican food.

Ok, so these were all food related answers, so I will add a fourth: many Americans have a certain relaxed, "easy-goingness" in everyday situations - like standing in line, or driving on the highway - that I sometimes miss here. Germany is very organized and efficient, but sometimes people can get very tense when things don't run as perfectly as they should. Americans also tend to be very optimistic. I like that!

Do you have a favorite artist or author?  Could you share some links?

I recently created a fun "heroes" board on Pinterest full of people I admire, mostly women. This list certainly doesn't include everyone, but it is hopefully fun to look at.

Who inspires you most?

Everyone I meet and have the pleasure of knowing in this crazy, wonderful life.

To learn more about Stephanie Levy and her creative projects, visit:

Creative Courage e-course
12 Countries in 12 Months
a studio with a view
artists who blog
Stephanie on Etsy
Stephanie on Facebook
Stephanie's boards on Pinterest

Finding Home

View from Kerry Park

Moving is tiresome… boxes, movers, memories long packed away. They all want answers. Where does this go? What should be discarded? It is easy to get lost in the minutia of moving, and miss the bigger picture.

So I went out into my new city this morning, away from the boxes and piles, and scattered bits that may make up a home (should I find creativity in the chaos). I walked down my street, passed old craftsman homes, and headed west a few blocks.

Along Galer

The world opened up before me.

View from Queen Anne Hill

Across the sound

The Mountain

This is why I am here.