Stepping into that natural creative and expansive energy is healing. Making by hand is too. Like a prayer, I use my hands to weave my innermost feelings into shapes.

As I create, I create with willow. I allow her to whisper to me of her longing to be, become, grow into.

Baskets allow me to hone my techniques, get better at my craft, they give me structure. I bring those skills into creating sculptural forms where I can allow myself to create freely. I love moving between functional and non-functional shapes. Like a pendulum over and back, or a spiral ever deeper.

I explore natural flowing shapes and love bending willow into its most beautiful ways. She challenges me to stay with her as she guides me into trust, allowing, flow.

Willow is my only medium, my guide, my muse. She moves constantly in the wind, prefers to bend rather than break and is super flexible, grows fast and has beautiful colored stems. She teaches me patience, to follow her rhythm, and the rhythms of nature.

I only use natural colored willow bark to bring colors into my work. No dyes.

We grow all our willow ourselves and have selected a wide range of varieties over many years that allow me to play with a beautiful diverse natural color palette.

I learned how to make baskets more then 20 years ago as we made the transition to move to Ireland from Belgium. We bought a small run-down cottage and started to make it into a home with a productive vegetable garden, and willow beds for basket making.

I practiced my craft any spare moment I had, which was not much at first with 3 small children. But as they grew, so grew this little willow business.

I now make baskets and sculptures for sale and commission, teach in person workshops and from there have developed an online program that brings students from complete beginners to confident baskets makers so you can also step into the willow world.

My gratitude goes to my teachers:

I Made my first basket with Patsy Cahill, in Mullinahone, Tipperary. He was the person that passed on the spark for willow for me. We stayed in his garden for 3 months where I fell in love with willow and the process. He grew his own willow, made baskets from his workshop and sold from home. I loved that sustainable and intimate cycle and I could feel the endless possibilities willow gave to express myself.

Once Patry showed me the basics I learned more techniques from the book ‘The complete book of basketry techniques’ by Sally Goymer and Sue Gabriel. That book was my constant companion for many years as I slowly taught myself fluency and form.

My second in-person teacher was Joe Hogan. Joe, basket maker in Connemara, Galway, has been an inspiration forever. He is a guiding light for me. Showing that making a living from your craft is possible as well as creatively fullfilling. I loved his book ‘Basketmaking in Ireland’ when it first came out in 2003 and read it front to cover, backwards and inside out. His dedication to the craft, the way he shares his knowledge freely and his lifes work with willow is a never ending source of inspiration.

Since then I have had the privilege to learn square work and frame bases from Eddie Glew in England. An amazingly skilled and knowledgeable maker. 

I also learned from Jenny Crisp (England) and Anne Mette Hjornholm(Denmark).

And my constant teacher has been willow itself, through many hours of practice and repetition.

I want to honour all these teachers who have come before me and on who’s shoulders we all stand. Without their endless hours of practice and dedication and honing of skills and fluency, the craft of basket making would not be alive today.

My Values

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