I recently completed five multimedia pieces for a gallery show (my first!). Each piece is centered around a wood-turned element and incorporates pine needle basketry. The vase top and base are Norfolk Island pine. The larger basket is pine beetle stained pine and is suspended from the antler shed base. The basket with antler shed handle has a natural edge maple bowl base. The winged basket has a sassafras base and the smallest basket has a natural edge walnut bowl as a base. The basket bases were all made from discarded natural edge projects which had lost their bark. I returned to them with the idea to let the natural edge of the turn pieces control the flow of the pine needles. Four of the pieces use recycled VHS video tape as stitching and one uses waxed cotton cord. The recycled video tape is made using a dealgan (Scottish drop spindle) that I also turned. I spin the tape into a thread then stretch it to give it a set (but that's another story). This is an evolution of several different interests of mine that all came together in way that allowed me to put my own spin on these unique pieces. I was encouraged to post this by a couple of folks from the two wood turning clubs I belong to. I hope you find them interesting.
