May 15, 2011 LABG Meeting
Minutes
32 attendees were welcomed by Director Leah Danberg. Guests and new members included Brandy McKay, Karla Commins,
Debbie Zimmerman and Miki Ishikawa.
The drawing of Debby McDonald and Ann Thompkins’ names kicked off the grab bag event. It’s always fun searching through the generous supply of beads, baskets, gourds, and natural materials for the taking. As usual, there was enough for multiple ‘grabbing’ trips.
Educational
Opportunities
Leah announced that sign ups were available for several class offerings.
On October 22-23, Leah will be teaching a ‘Working With Kelp’ class. This two-day class will require gathering your own kelp. Leah will provide written instructions on how to gather the kelp or she welcomes you to join a gathering session she will be leading sometime prior to the class.
2012 Camp Stevens Retreat classes for sign up include:
Jennifer Falck Linssen , known for her Katagami-style hand carved paper baskets, will be teaching how to make spun paper.
Dawn Walden, of Native American decent will teach how to random weave a cedar basket.
Kay Khan will teach fabric sculpting.
Retreat dates are March 30-April 1, 2012.
Reserving a class requires a non-refundable $50 deposit.
SHOW AND TELL
Carole Cochran shared with everyone an awesome bamboo basket made by Noburo Fujinuma, a highly respected contemporary bamboo artist. Carole had met Fujinuma on various occasions (trips to Japan and at various galleries ). He was sponsored by Lloyd Cotsen, art collector and former Neutrogena CEO,
at an event with the Japanese Cultural Center. The basket Carole got is a double-walled hanging flower vase with a bamboo insert to hold water. Really classy, arriving in its wooden boxed with brushed on calligraphy, wrapped in handmade paper.
Ferne Benson creation was accepted for exhibition into ‘Tradition and Innovation in Basketry VI.’ A picture her stunning piece was shown off by proud Mom , Ann Thompkins and Sis, Michelle Geddes.
Margaret Shultz shared four of her prized Embera baskets from her collection. Each basket was precise, tightly woven and design fibers were dyed from natural materials. Margaret noted that recent Embera baskets sport vibrantly colored designs, probably dyed with synthetic dyes. Included in her treasures was a little lidded piece that she had just acquired. It appeared Asian in origin and made from split bamboo and rattan.
Judy Robelotto ‘s Show and Tell was a willow basket she made at the recent Misti Washington Guild’s retreat. Judy took the Jo Campbell-Amsler class. Judy’s willow basket sported a wisteria rim. Soaked willow and pre-fashioned wisteria rims were supplied at the class as willow requires one day of soaking per each foot of willow. The wisteria rims has to be formed while wet and dried after shaping.
Judy also showed her finished Rosalie Friis-Ross knotting class project. Claiming she hated the piece,
Judy decided to end it, eased it off its mold, turned it upside down and made it into a bowl. After embellishing it, it now gets a second life as an art basket!
On another subject, Judy showed a near full page March 12 feature in the LA times on Leigh Adams. Leigh, depicted with her streak of purple hair, got Arcadia city approval to recycle storm drainage from the street to her garden.
Ann Thompkin’s showed what she called her first non-pine needle basket. It’s a striking coiled basket with vivid colors featuring tight weaving, ever so typical of Ann’s precise technique.
Jennifer Tang proved that she was busy and productive at the Misti Weekend in the Gardens event. She took Peggy Wilcox’s class and made sweet looking mini market basket made with bulrush and Japanese iris leaves. The other class Jennifer took was Marla Helton’s gourd class. Jennifer’s class project was weaving reed over a dyed gourd and embellishing it with porcelain beads. A third basket that she had to share was a colorful wire mini basket she made from a mizuhiki knotting kit when the knotting didn’t go quite as planned….
New member Carol Friesleben, had for ogling a 3 piece collection of tiny horsehair baskets she purchased in Arizona 17 years ago. One of the baskets even sported a lid.
Leah Danberg had for display 3 kelp baskets depicting the different weaving styles she will be teaching at her upcoming kelp class. She also had 2 small knotted pieces that she brought to inspire some of the newly initiated ‘knotters.’
Cookie Hanson shared two of her recent works. Playing with clay, she fashioned a clay pinch pot resembling a mermaid tail, knotless netted the body with kelp and created a really kool mermaid sculpture. Another piece she shared was a twisted gourd that she twined variegated hemp onto the bulbous portion of the gourd. The result was ‘In Bloom’, a flower bud.
Cookie delighted everyone with tales of her recent trip to China and Cambodia. Though she enjoyed sightseeing China’s Terra Cotta soldiers, the Great Wall, etc., she was especially taken with Cambodia.
A three hour tour of the Floating Village was especially memorable where families lived in rickety boats, where live stock was housed in floating pens and cages, and where a floating gas station sold fuel in recycled liter sized Jack Daniel bottles. These sights were so totally different to anything Cookies had ever seen. She also gifted everyone at the meeting with handmade greeting cards with pictures of a floating home.
New member Karla Commins became interested in the Guild after attending the Arline Fisch workshop on ‘Textile Techniques in Metal.’ Karla went home to retrieve her class projects for the sharing. Karla had samples depicting flat, zigzag and spiral plaits. There was shaped and accordion metal weaving, hairpin lace with wire, circle weave and little boxes. Karla admitted to being fascinated with making these little boxes and has since made numerous lidded and nested pieces.
MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Craft an in America will air a new segment on Tues. May 24. The Guild will be sending out an email blast to remind members of it’s airing.
Peggy Peck will be the Featured Artist on August 27 at Harmony Gardens.
Michelle Geddes raved about the ‘Art of Basketry Show’ exhibit open until August 27 at Aqua Caliente near Palm Springs. ‘Song of the Basket’ is the theme, and it sounds like a must go event. Most of the baskets were old and part of Aqua Caliente’s own collection.
Cookie Hanson and Rose Hamner will be exhibiting at the Irvine Fine Arts Annual Studio Arts show on Saturday June 4, 9AM-5PM. This is a free event, plenty of free parking with approximately 100 esteemed artists selling their work. A ‘must not miss’ is purchasing an ice cream sundae and keeping the hand thrown ceramic bowl of your choice.
Member Lynne Everett is teaching at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. Check out the museum’s website for details regarding her class offerings. Her next class will be on July 12, 1-4PM where she will be instructing on Knotless Netting an amulet.
Cookie Hanson has her work featured in a new book Gourds + Fiber by Ginger Summit and Jim Widess.
She also has openings for upcoming classes at her home studio on May 18, May 23, June 15 and June 18. For flyers on her class offerings, email her at basketcookie@aol.com.
Peggy Weidemann has multiple exhibitions in progress. Check out her latest entries in:
“ All Things Considered VI”, National Basketry Organization, July 30 to
December 12, 2011
“All’s Fair In Art…Again”, Fallbrook Art Center, May 22 to June 26, 2011
“Inaugural Naples International Juried Contemporary Crafts Exhibition”, March 4 to June 15, 2011
“Inside Outside”, GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, May 13 to June 19, 2011
Judy Robelotto was thrilled to win a First Place ribbon and $25 for her tall knotted creation at the NC Basketry Association. It was a special treat since it was her first ever entry into a competition!
Maggie LeDue shared her experience on a two month driving sojourn meeting basketmakers in the South. Maggie met with all styles of weavers: sweetgrass and palm tree fronds, Nantucket, etc. During her trip when the dogwood and azaleas were blooming, she ‘cold called’ on local weavers. Ninety percent of them were happy to meet with her, making her adventure extraordinarily rewarding.
BUSINESS AGENDA
The Treasurers report was made available for one and all to review.
The next meeting’s challenge basket will be to incorporate color. Leah is soliciting ideas of challenges asking that you email your inspirations to her.
Aviva Weiner , Programs, is finalizing plans for next meeting’s workshop on Sat. Aug. 13, 2011. She is hoping that the workshop will be Scandanavian weaving, typically used to make straw Christmas ornament.
Remaining dates for the 2011 Guild meetings at the Beach Cities Health Clinic are Sat. Aug. 13 and Sun. Nov. 13
MINI WORKSHOP
At about 12:20 PM everyone eagerly headed towards the buffet. As usual, there were treats galore with Brandy McKay’s Goat Cheese with Fig preserves and crushed pecans being a standout treat.
Cookie Hanson then led the workshop where we fashioned a little ‘naturals’ basket made with draco, split leaf philodendron, raffia, and other natural materials donated by Guild members.
Rose Hamner, Secretary