Fairy lights woven around a cylinder that has been constructed based on the capacity of a bushel=8 gallons. With this work i shall not be ‘hiding my light under a bushel!’
Author Archive | gillian widden
The Full Bushel
The last bushel basket is complete…the full bushel.
The woven piñata
The ball is no longer ball-like….but will it survive the kiln? Several days of drying required. It now looks rather like a parcel of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk
Papier mache pinata
I’m also making a paper mache piñata that I’m hoping can be broken open at the launch of the exhibition. A piñata, is a container made of paper-mache, pottery, or cloth, and filled with toys or sweets. It is commonly associated with Mexico, and Catholicism, but was introduced to Europe in the 14th century. The […]
Clay pinata
I’m now attempting a woven clay piñata for my commission at the Priory Stoke sub Hamdon. I’ve got lots of advice from my ceramicist friends who’s letting me use her studio/kiln but when it comes to the firing who knows what will happen. At the moment I’m waiting for the armature to dry then […]
Toilet paper rope
This really works and ends up looking rather like umbilical cord. As usual I managed to ‘rope’ in a friend to help me in the making. Once done you start to weave and realise its potential.
And now for something completely different…
This one just happened! I’ve always like charring wood and constructing things using hand cut wooden dowels, and this is the result. Not exactly a useful ‘basket’ but it definitely has character and creates interesting shadows.
More bushel baskets
Still fairly conventional baskets….these consist of 1/2 bushel, 10th bushel, 100th bushel, and 1000th bushel. Coiled, long grasses from neighbouring fields, bound together with raffia, using a blanket stitch. I’ve still got to make the actual bushel basket….the biggest last. I’ve cut the grasses, just need better weather as it’s too messy to work inside, […]
Bushel baskets
I’ve now started playing with materials to make ‘bushel’ baskets in response to the brief for Stoke sub Hamdon tithe barn. The aim to to produce a mixture or ‘traditional’ and contemporary and make them colourful so they brighten up the barn. So, I’ve been thinking about materials for quite some time, natural and man […]
Saltaire Arts Trail Open Houses
Have just returned from having some of my work in Open Houses, as part of the Saltaire Arts Trail in Yorkshire. Fully packed van with my work, another artist’s work (India Ritchie from Plymouth), walking gear etc etc. Saltaire is a very interesting model Victorian village built by Sir Titus Salt, for his mill workers. […]
