basket illusion

I modified my 1/8” D-Way beading tool to come close to the shape of the coil of a basket, more oval than circular and not as deep. I modified my burning tip accordingly to simulate the stitches. Obviously I do not burn between the beads.

Louisa Keyser was certainly the best basket weaver of all time. On her large degikups she was doing from 30 to 34 stitches per inch. Her “Unfinished Basket” was maybe 12-13” in diameter. I didn’t have a large piece of maple so I did it in 4 pieces and it is 10 ½” in diameter and 9 ¾” high with...

9” box elder bowl with a basket weave design burned around the perimeter.

7” tall box elder vessel with a burned in basket weave.

Navajo ceremonial basket design. The symbol is also used to represent Spider Woman, the first Navajo deity. The basket is twelve inches in diameter and the wood is maple. Pyrography and ink were used to create the basket illusion. Donated to SWAT 2019 symposium and selected as an auction item.

It was an epic experience with a lot of first for me and that blow up... To burn a rectangle and color one design it took me an average of 25 minutes (you do have to correct the mistakes if you have some, and with burn lines spacing less than a millimeter, on the coloring, I had some). I do have...

Honoring Washoe Native American Basket Weaver LOUISA KEYSER LK 41-42 “Beacon Lights”. End grain Hard Maple, 10 ½” diameter and 8” high, over 100,000 burn lines on the beads or the equivalence of over 50,000 stitches.

Navajo legend says that a deity carries the sun across the sky on his back and then hangs it on a peg to cool off. After it is no longer glowing he carries it back east during the night. I apologize for the bad iPad picture. Hopefully, I will have a chance to get a better picture before it is...

Navajo Wedding Basket illusion is 12⅝ inch diameter maple. The wedding basket is probably the most well known of all the various Native American basket designs. This piece will be part of the SWAT 2-for-1 drawing coming up next month.

This is the latest project taking a good amount of time as the turning was a lot more complicated. I could have done a better job of beading on the inside but at this point it will have to do. Hopefully if there is another one I will remember where I need to do a better job. Made from hard maple...

10" Diameter, 3.75" High

Panamint Basket Illusion

The Tübatulabal are an indigenous people of the Kern River Valley area of Southern California and are related to the Aztec. The literal meaning of the name is "pine nut eaters". Stones were heated in a fire and then placed in the baskets to cook the food. This basket illusion measures 13⅝"...

My first basket illusions following David Nittmann techniques and the YouTube videos of Harvey Meyer. Thank you Harvey for your YouTube videos. My 3rd and 4th Basket Illusions following Jim Adkins tutorial from 2011. Thank you Jim for a well done tutorial.

I am interested in trying a basket weave or illusion of a basket weave. Please share sources and types of lathe tools, color pens, and burning tips. Your lessons learned in your first attempts to create this illusion are also welcome.

Twelve inch diameter maple Native American basket illusion.