Vickie DeWitt Basketry and Sculpture E-mail: dewitt@ArtsOfSnohomish.org		View all artists Arts of Snohomish main page
	I have always been fulfilled by working with my hands and creating something that I feel is both beautiful and useful. I love the utilitarian beauty of a woven piece of art, whether it is an apple basket or just a basket to carry my own art projects. The majestic mountains and cedar trees of the Northwest heightened my appreciation for nature. As a person that has always loved natural materials I was drawn to the area’s native basketry, which uses cedar bark, roots, and other forms of vegetation. A fortunate meeting with a local basket weaver and teacher helped me realize my true love of handcrafted art in the form of baskets. As a member of the Seattle Basketry Guild for many years, I had access to a group of creative people who shared their many skills and ideas. I was truly fortunate to be part of the creative process that grows there. I learned to use willow, bull rush, cattail, osier, iris leaves, pine needles and many other natural items for my baskets, as well as wire, plastics and re-cycled. I now provide basketry classes so that the skill of basketry is not lost to us. As my skills have grown over the past 20 years, and as I have added the use of waxed linen and wire, some of my baskets became smaller, becoming jewelry which called for “embellishments” of beads. My love of beading bloomed into many forms, including enhancements of other items such as clothing, hooked rugs and quilted items, as well as beaded jewelry. Classes in sculpting developed my skills into a playful love for fanciful pieces such as Santas, wizards and angels. I love the feel of the clay, and it is amazing to me that it produces works both beautiful and useful.