Artist’s Statement

For the first most important months of my life, my world was a hand woven willow basket.  Then I was raised where hidden spruce roots held the land, where exposed roots of canyons and stream banks danced and dangled in the wind. I grew up in the warm brown basket-like log cabin my father built, with moss pouring out of chinked cracks. I was raised gathering, it is still my favorite pastime, only later do I herd it into a semblance of what could be called art.

Silent rivers,

Eroded banks…exposing life-giving roots

Roots soon to be washed to sea

Roots calling to be seen

To be used

To be remembered

Knife and hatchet

Sorting, coiling, bundling

Pack horses loaded with precious cargo,

Crunching their way back to waiting cabin,

Through carpet of yellow cottonwood leaves

Bones and hooves

Polished glossy white and black

Last years nest

Now exposed in leafless elderberry

Carried home carefully

These are my treasures

This is my art

Horse Loaded with Precious Cargo

Eroded Banks Exposing Live-Giving Roots

Silent Rivers, Silver Swans

Big Hands, Little Basket

“Springtime" – Alder Roots

Bruce and Limey

Sign of the Beaver