Friday, March 25, 2011

Tasmanian Basketry Gathering

I've just returned from 3 weeks in Tasmania, the first 10 days cycling with 6 others from Hobart to Launceston, then travelling with my Mum to the biennial national Basketry Gathering at Port Sorell, north Tasmania.

For a week, we joined 120 other artists from Australia and overseas in exciting weaving and dyeing projects.  We learnt new techniques, worked with new fibres such as willow and made friends with other like-minded creative souls.  The setting was Camp Banksia at Port Sorell, a fantastic facility right by the beach, so we often went for afternoon beach walks where we picked blackberries and apples growing wild - a real novelty for us Queenslanders!

Picking wild blackberries to use in eco-dyeing
Blackberries - one for the pot, one for me (yum!)

With my fellow BasketCases from Brisbane -
Jenny, Angela, Floss, myself, Jan (my Mum) and Therese.
Bliss - happily creating a 'skelontised leaf'
using wire and raffia