Skipping Stones featured in Mosman Daily
Skipping Stones featured in Mosman Daily for the exhibition "What's a basket?"
Artisan Markets at the Coal Loader
The first Artisan Markets at the Coal Loader in Waverton was so incredible today. We had standing room only in our basketry section for most of the day. It was wonderful to see so much interest in our art.
Baskets are full of stories
The baskets are not empty. They are full of makers, their stories, their thoughts while making. The baskets are never empty. All of the thoughts jump out of the baskets onto all of us.
Verna Nichols
Playing with pandanus
I recently went on a yoga retreat in Fiji at Daku Resort and the owner very kindly organised for me to visit a village to sit with the women and weave a traditional Fijian mat.
The material was pandanus (known as voivoi in Fiji) leaves which are so strong - strong enough to walk on for years - so the collection and preparation of the material is extensive. They are boiled, dried in the sun, smoothed out by hand (using a file - pictured), split into strips.
The weaving was quite complicated, but once you got into the rhythm, it became easier. It was such a wonderful experience.
A more detail description of this is on the Daku Resort blog.
