About Crafty Basketry
With nearly 15 years’ experience as a basket maker, Marianne van Niekerken has developed a style that is instinctive and organic, using techniques that have been passed on through the generations.
“My first experience with basket making was a course I did with Alan Sage, a local woodsman, who was known for hurdle making and coppicing and much more, and who taught mentally challenged, young people in the area.
At the time, basketmakers were very few and far between in the South East of England. I fell in love with the rhythm of weaving, and was pleasantly surprised about the grounding effect it had on me, making me re-connect with nature and forget about the stresses of the week.”
In her work, functionality is key. May it be willow, hazel, birch, beech, ash, hornbeam, Siberian dogwood or brambles, to name but a few materials; if it has an interesting texture, is colourful and pliable, then it will be used in various ways for plant supports, dog baskets, cat pods, bird feeders, log, or shopping baskets, or any design or use that you may have in mind.
Interested in what The Heritage Crafts Association have to say about the craft? Please check out their website here.