WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

• Day 1 will be our Material Exploration and Preparation Day. Joan will have Western Red Cedar Bark, a variety of Willow Barks and Outer Cherry Bark for you to learn the steps of processing and preparing your materials for your first basket project. She will discuss the harvesting procedures using slides and then we’ll move to hands-on preparation of materials. Other materials on hand will include sedges, daylily leaves, and beargrass.

• Day 2 we will weave with cedar bark spokes and explore a variety of twining and plaiting variations allowing you to design your basket with the materials on hand and with sample baskets for inspiration.

• Day 3 we will weave a Twill Cat’s Head basket with cedar bark and willow bark. The focus on this basket is controlling shape and developing twill patterns. With an in-depth discussion on materials and an exploration of a variety of weave patterns, the hope is that you will be inspired and feel confident to continue your weaving journey with barks and local natural materials.

• SKILL LEVEL: All levels, beginners welcome.

• $950 + hst

Joan Carrigan

Instructor Bio: Joan Carrigan is a full-time basket maker and basketry teacher who has woven her basketry life on Salt Spring Island, BC for over 30 years. Joan studied Fine Art and Art History at the University of Guelph and attended her first Basketry Conference in Toronto in 1991.

Since then, her passion for this ancient art form has led her to study, travel, and explore many different techniques and materials. Her research into traditional skills inspires her use of plant materials she respectfully harvests from nature, while her background in fine art fuels her enthusiasm for the sculptural and creative potential that the medium offers. Joan teaches extensively and finds this to be a very rewarding aspect of her career.