Steve@DunbarGardens

September newsletter

Sep 062010

Upcoming Events

Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair: Saturday, September 11, 10am-5pm, Meridian Park behind the Good Shepherd Center in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. This annual event celebrates local farms, urban gardening, and the environment featuring tasty food, music, workshops, sustainable goods, and a farmers market. Katherine will be there with her baskets and demonstrating her work showing that our farms produce useful products other than food.

Festival of Family Farms at Gordon Skagit Farms: October 2 & 3, 10am-4pm, 15598 McLean Rd., Mount Vernon (just around the corner from Dunbar Gardens). Katherine will be demonstrating willow basketmaking and selling baskets at the Gordon’s Autumn Harvest Farmstand as part of the annual Skagit Valley farm tour. In addition there will be a blacksmithing demo, bee keeping info, cooking with squash, baked goods, and the usual impressive display of pumpkins, squash, gourds, apple cider and more from the Gordons.

Exploring Baskets: A juried show and sale of work by members of the Northwest Basket Weavers Guild: December 3, 2010 – January 29, 2011 at the Depot Arts Center, Anacortes, WA. Katherine is involved in organizing this show and expects an outstanding and very diverse exhibit. The opening will be Friday, Dec. 3 from 6 – 9pm as part of the First Friday Art Walk in Anacortes. On Saturday, December 4 there will be a “holiday themed” Basket Day with classes and demonstrations in conjunction with the show.

Willow Basketmaking Classes with Katherine Lewis

October 21-23: Tidal Twinings, Columbia Basin Basketry Guild Fall Retreat in Rockaway, Oregon.

Katherine will be teaching two classes at the CBBG retreat this year. Willow bicycle basket on Thursday & Friday and a Berry picking basket on Saturday. You can be a member of either the CBBG or the Northwest Basket Weavers Guild to attend this fun event. See their website for details and contact info.

Facebook: Dunbar Gardens has a Facebook page. We post photos of Katherine’s latest baskets, commissions, and photos of the farm – like the always popular ‘birds of the farm’ album – as well as other links of interest for willow basketry.

For more information about classes, baskets, willow growing, or our farmstand please visit our website.

Katherine & Steve

August newsletter

Dunbar Gardens 1 Response »

Aug 052010

Upcoming events

Anacortes Arts Festival Arts at the Port Juried Exhibition: August 6-8, Exhibition entitled “Next” juried by Esther Luttikhuizen showing a diverse mix of work in fine crafts, painting, sculpture, and photography. Katherine is excited to have four pieces selected for the show which reflect the diversity of her willow basketry work. You can visit the fine arts exhibit for free any day of the festival.

Art of the Garden: July 8-August 19, Arts Council of Snohomish County Gallery located in the historic Monte Cristo in Everett at 1507 Wall Street. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10-5, and Saturdays from 11-4. Katherine has four baskets for sale in this show featuring artwork that enhances the garden or brings the garden into the home.

Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair: September 11, 10am-5pm, Good Shepherd Center in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. Annual event celebrating urban gardening and local farms. Katherine will be there with her baskets and demonstrating her work showing that our farms produce useful products other than food.

Looking ahead: Exploring Baskets: A juried show and sale of work by members of the Northwest Basket Weavers Guild: December 3- January 29, 2010 at the Depot Arts Center, Anacortes, WA. Katherine is involved in organizing this show and expects an outstanding and diverse exhibit.

Willow Basketmaking Classes with Katherine Lewis

There is one more class scheduled this summer and there are a couple of spaces open.

August 16-17 (Monday-Tuesday): Scallomed projects

This class provides baskets at all weaving levels. We will weave the base on a hoop frame, and scallom on the stakes. The oval shopper is the simplest of the shapes, great for beginners. The magazine basket is a skinny long oval basket with a lengthwise handle, making it great for magazines or books next to your favorite chair. The square basket is great for shopping, and is a chance for those with previous willow experience to learn square shaping and square border corners. Experience with willow is helpful, and comfort using a knife is essential for this class.

Classes at other locations

October 21-23: Tidal Twinings, Columbia Basin Basketry Guild Fall Retreat in Rockaway, Oregon.

Farmstand: We have a selection of garden fresh produce for sale now Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 10-6. You can stop by any day of the week if you want to look at the baskets we have on hand.

Facebook: Dunbar Gardens has a Facebook page. If you are a Facebook user, check out the photos and postings there.

For more information about classes, baskets, willow growing, or our farmstand please visit our website.

Thanks!

Katherine & Steve

Anacortes Arts Festival “Next”

exhibits 1 Response »

Jul 262010

The 2010 Anacortes Arts Festival starts with the Arts at the Port opening Friday, July 30, 5:30-8:00 pm. Katherine is excited to have four baskets chosen for the open juried show entitled “Next”. Juried by Esther Luttikhuizen, the exhibit showcases work from 32 artists each displaying 3 to 5 pieces. The exhibit includes painting, photography, sculpture, and fine crafts from Northwest artists. The opening Friday evening will be the first chance to see the work and meet the artists as well as enjoy food, wine, and entertainment in a great venue on the waterfront. Katherine plans on attending. You can see a slide show of all the work in the exhibit on the Anacortes Arts Festival website.

These are the four baskets by Katherine Lewis to be exhibited at the Arts at the Port show.

Art of the Garden in Everett

exhibits No Responses »

Jul 052010

blue willow rope coil

Katherine will be showing four baskets at the upcoming exhibit “Art of the Garden” presented by the Arts Council of Snohomish County at the Gallery at the historic Monte Cristo in Everett, Washington July 8-August 19, 2010. Over fifty artists will display work inspired by the garden or to bring the garden into the home. There will be work in a wide variety of mediums including glass, ceramics, painting , photography, and basketry. You can see the full list of artists on the Arts Council website.

Irish potato basket

Katherine’s work includes this traditional Irish potato basket form made from some of the colorful willows we grow on the farm. The basket at the top of the post is a Scottish rope coil made from Salix daphnoides; an interesting looking blue willow that is difficult to work with. She also included a basket that is not only made from the garden, but one you can use to harvest the garden.

willow garden basket

There will be an opening reception on Thursday, July 8 from 5 to 8pm to meet the artists and see the work. The event is free to the public. The gallery is located at 1507 Wall Street in downtown Everett. Hours are Monday-Friday 10-5 and Saturday 11-4. The art work is for sale.

willow tray

NBO exhibit at The Bascom

exhibits 1 Response »

Jun 212010

Katherine was recently invited to send some of her work to an exhibit of National Basketry Organization members at The Bascom, a non-profit center for the visual arts in Highlands, North Carolina. The Bascom art center is located on 6 acres of beautiful pastoral land with buildings that encompass museum quality galleries and art studios for instruction. Artistic Director Kaye Gorecki worked with NBO President Michael Davis to select a few basketmakers to showcase in a small exhibit June 12-July 18. Katherine was honored to be chosen along side some outstanding artists that included Jackie Abrams, JoAnn Kelly Catsos, JoAnn Russo, Donya Stockton, and Pamela Zimmerman.

An exhibit of contemporary basketmakers should be a nice compliment to another work at The Bascom. Beginning June 2, sculptor Patrick Dougherty is constructing a site specific work on The Bascom grounds. He has made his unique structures all over the world. Katherine had the opportunity to volunteer a couple of days on a work he made in Lynden, Washington a few years ago.

Katherine only had a week’s notice to decide what to send. Unfortunately there was no time to make anything specifically for the exhibit, so she picked out these two baskets to send. The oval market basket or “panier á jour” is woven primarily with our farm “‘brown” (with bark) willow and “buff” (peeled) willow for the fitching. It is a traditional French design, but woven with the “browns” rather than all peeled. The small square purse is an original design woven from willow with a braided leather strap. Katherine hopes viewers will appreciate these functional forms of contemporary basketry.

Post Script: Well there are good experiences and there are learning experiences…

This is how our box looked when it returned from the exhibit. The Bascom sent it back by UPS ground. When we opened the box we saw that the ‘panier á jour’ had been packed incorrectly – upright instead of sideways and without the cardboard baffles like when we shipped it by FedEx. The Bascom’s exhibitions registrar replied to our complaint “I want to assure you that it was not done through carelessness.” Really? It seemed like a double dose of carelessness from the packer and UPS. And we end up with a basket that is decidedly tweaked in shape.
Most of our boxes only go one way – direct to the customer and we’ve never had a basket damaged in shipping. I guess we should have been reading the helpful info over on Ask Harriete about packing your artwork for delivery to and return from exhibits. Chalk it up as a learning experience.

June newsletter

Dunbar Gardens No Responses »

Jun 162010

News from Dunbar Gardens June 2010

Upcoming Events

Edmonds Arts Festival: June 18-20, popular festival featuring 240 juried artist exhibitors, music, performing arts, children’s activities, wine bar and bistro in downtown Edmonds on Fathers’ Day weekend. Katherine will be selling her baskets in the Plaza area for traditional arts and crafts. Her location is spot P5 on the map which you can find on the Edmonds Arts Festival website. The weather forecast looks good for this weekend!

Art of the Garden: July 8-August 19, Arts Council of Snohomish County Gallery located in the historic Monte Cristo in Everett at 1507 Wall Street. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10-5, and Saturdays from 11-4. Katherine will have several baskets in this show featuring artwork that enhances the garden or brings the garden into the home.

Anacortes Arts Festival Arts at the Port Juried Exhibition: August 6-8, Exhibition entitled “Next” juried by Esther Luttikhuizen showing a diverse mix of work in fine crafts, painting, sculpture, and photography. Katherine is excited to have four pieces selected for the show. There is an opening reception July 30, 5:30-8pm when you can see the work, meet artists, and enjoy wine, food and music. You can see a slide show of all the works in the show on the Anacortes Arts Festival website.

News

Katherine was invited to submit her work to two current exhibits of basketry in other parts of the country. She sent two baskets to an exhibit of selected basketmakers from the National Basketry Organization at The Bascom, a nonprofit center for the visual arts in Highlands, North Carolina (June 12-July18). She sent one piece to an exhibit of basketmakers at the Philip Dickel Basketry Museum at the Amana Colonies in Iowa (June 1-October2).

Willow Basketmaking Classes with Katherine Lewis

Classes are two days, from 9am to 5pm. Everyone will leave with a finished basket. Class size is limited to 10. Cost is $170 per student which includes materials. There is a registration form on the website. Or you can send us your contact info (name, address, email, telephone) along with a $50 deposit per class session. Last minute sign ups should email baskets@dunbargardens.com for availability. These classes are all in the Mount Vernon area at Dunbar Gardens or just down the road from us at the McLean Road Fire Hall meeting room.

June 26-27: Gathering basket, round or oval laundry basket

July 13-16: four day in-depth class

These two class sessions are currently filled. You are welcome to add your name to a waiting list without a deposit. There are still spaces in the August class which will be at Dunbar Gardens.

August 16-17 (Monday-Tuesday): Scallomed projects

This class provides baskets at all weaving levels. We will weave the base on a hoop frame, and scallom on the stakes. The oval shopper is the simplest of the shapes, great for beginners. The magazine basket is a skinny long oval basket with a lengthwise handle, making it great for magazines or books next to your favorite chair. The square basket is great for shopping, and is a chance for those with previous willow experience to learn square shaping and square border corners. Students can choose from a selection of side weaves. Experience with willow is helpful, and comfort using a knife is essential for this class.

Classes at other locations

October 21-23: Tidal Twinings, Columbia Basin Basketry Guild Fall Retreat in Rockaway, Oregon.

Facebook: Dunbar Gardens has a Facebook page. If you are a Facebook user, check out the photos and postings there.

Thanks!

Katherine & Steve

Edmonds Arts Festival

festivals 2 Responses »

Jun 142010

Katherine will be participating in the Edmonds Arts Festival this weekend June 18-20. One of our area’s largest and best street fairs, it showcases the work of nearly 240 juried artists as well as a wide range of musical entertainment, a wine bar and bistro, and kid’s activities. There are two areas for artists – the field and the plaza. Katherine will be in the plaza in the “traditional arts” area. You can find her spot on the festival map at space P5. She is hoping to have enough “elbow room” to be able to work on some weaving while there. Show and tell is one of the things that Katherine does best when she is at a show. (And hopefully keeps her from going crazy being away from the weaving room at home for three very long days!)

Katherine has been working hard the past couple of weeks to have a nice selection of work for the show. Expect to find these small colorful baskets as well as her usual display of willow garden baskets, shoppers, laundry baskets, wine baskets, and trays.

You can see a full list of the artists here. Hope to see you in Edmonds.

Tidal Twinings 2010 brochure

basket classes No Responses »

Jun 062010

The Tidal Twinings 2010 Fall Basketry Retreat brochure came in the mail this past week. There is a photo of Katherine’s zig-zag weave shopper class from the 2009 retreat on the cover. This annual event is sponsored by the Columbia Basin Basketry Guild and happens in a nice ocean front location in Rockaway Beach, Oregon. Katherine has been invited to teach two classes this year.

The first one is a willow bicycle basket on the Thursday and Friday. This basket is for the front handle bars of a bike. It’s designed with quick release attach straps. There will be some choice on the side weaves to personalize your basket.

The second class on Saturday is a small berry picking basket. This project is a great beginning willow basket.

There is a nice group of teachers scheduled for this event with a diverse selection of weaving projects. Teachers include Donna Kallner, Kathey Ervin, Lanny Bergner, Deb Curtis, Sheila Tasker, Margaret Mathewson, Kay Harradine, and more. Eventually the registration form will be posted on the CBBG website, but you can get more info from Marge Meyer by email: marjoriemeyer54(at)yahoo.com.

May newsletter

Dunbar Gardens 2 Responses »

May 052010

News from Dunbar Gardens May 2010

Willow Basketry Classes & Upcoming Events

News

There is an article about Katherine Lewis, Willow Basketmaker in the latest issue of “Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot”- the quarterly journal of Handweavers Guild of America. The article was written by Sandra Swarbrick who lives nearby on Camano Island and has a long involvement with the HGA. Nice article describing Katherine’s background with basketry, willow, and her teachers.

Katherine is serving as President of the Board for the Northwest Basket Weavers Guild for the coming year.

Upcoming Events

Anacortes Arts Festival Arts at the Port Juried Exhibition: August 6-8, Opening reception July 30, 5:30-8pm. Exhibition entitled “Next” juried by Esther Luttikhuizen showing a diverse mix of work in fine crafts, painting, sculpture, and photography. Katherine is excited to have four pieces selected for the show.

Looking ahead: Exploring Baskets: A juried show and sale of work by members of the Northwest Basket Weavers Guild: December 3- January 29, 2010 at the Depot Arts Center, Anacortes, WA. Katherine is involved in organizing this show and expects an outstanding and diverse exhibit.

Willow Basketmaking Classes with Katherine Lewis

Classes are two days, from 9am to 5pm. Everyone will leave with a finished basket. Class size is limited to 10. Cost is $170 per student which includes materials. Tools will be available to use during the class; and awls, French curved blade knives and locally made rapping irons will be available for purchase. We provide tea and coffee.
There is a registration form on the website. Or you can send us your contact info (name, address, email, telephone) along with a $50 deposit per class session. Last minute sign ups should email baskets@dunbargardens.com for availability. These classes are all in the Mount Vernon area at Dunbar Gardens or just down the road from us at the McLean Road Fire Hall meeting room.

June 26-27 (Saturday-Sunday): Gathering basket, round or oval laundry basket

Depending on each student’s experience, you can make a round gathering or a laundry basket. The gathering basket starts with a round base made by twining, a sturdy base wale around the sides, English randing for the side weave, and a strong cross handle to complete the basket. The round laundry basket is larger than the gathering basket, taking more hand strength and more time to weave the sides. It begins with the same twined base and base wale; then students may choose between different side weaves. The laundry basket is completed with two roped side handles. More experienced willow weavers can make an oval laundry or log basket that is also finished with roped handles.

July 13-16: four day in-depth class

This class session is currently filled. Katherine appreciates the positive response for the longer session and will be planning another one in the future.

August 16-17 (Monday-Tuesday): Scallomed projects

This class provides baskets at all weaving levels. We will weave the base on a hoop frame, and scallom on the stakes. The oval shopper is the simplest of the shapes, great for beginners. The magazine basket is a skinny long oval basket with a lengthwise handle, making it great for magazines or books next to your favorite chair. The square basket is great for shopping, and is a chance for those with previous willow experience to learn square shaping and square border corners. Students can choose from a selection of side weaves. Experience with willow is helpful, and comfort using a knife is essential for this class.

Classes at other locations

May 20-23: Willow basketmaking presentation and class in Portland, Oregon for Columbia Basin Basketry Guild members. Katherine is looking forward to her trip to Portland. She will be giving a presentation to the CBBG on her passion for willow basketry at the regular meeting of the CBBG on the evening of May 20. She will teach a two day class weaving an oval laundry or garden basket May 22-23. Sign up for the class is through the CBBG and Carol Horvath (email: carolhorvath8@gmail.com).

October 21-23: Tidal Twinings, Columbia Basin Basketry Guild Fall Retreat in Rockaway Beach, Oregon. Katherine will be teaching two classes at the CBBG retreat this year. Willow bicycle basket on Thursday & Friday and a Berry picking basket on Saturday. You can be a member of either the CBBG or the Northwest Basket Weavers Guild to attend this fun event. See their website for details and contact info.

Facebook: Dunbar Gardens has a Facebook page. If you are a Facebook user, become a follower and keep up to date with our activities there. We also invite you to contribute by posting comments, your photos from one of our classes, starting discussions related to willow basketry or willow growing.

For more information about classes, baskets, willow growing, or our farmstand please visit our website.

Thanks!

Katherine & Steve

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Skagit Valley 3 Responses »

Apr 012010

April brings us the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. I photographed these beautiful Golden Apeldoorn tulips just around the corner from Dunbar Gardens. This field is located next to McLean Road and has been designated Field 26 on the Roozengaarde “bloom map“. Washington Bulb Company is the largest bulb grower in the US and these tulips are part of their farm production. They have this bloom map on their website that you can check to see the locations of the fields, whether they are in bloom, and which bulb varieties are growing there. This lovely field has Golden Apeldoorn and Elite tulips just beginning to bloom, so it should be a traffic stopper the next couple of weeks.

This year above average temperatures have the tulips blooming on the early side. The tulip festival is designated as the month of April, but visitors have already started coming and the early part of the month will be the best part of the”show”. Yesterday we were treated to these impressive clouds over the valley as well. (Click on photo for larger view.)

The tulip fields have packed soil roads that are used by the farm equipment and workers. As long as you stay on these wide paths you can go into the fields and take a few photos. I like to ride the bike down the road and into the field with my camera. There is a local business Tulip Country Bike Tours that offers bike tours of the flower fields, display gardens, and refreshments and is customized to the weather and field bloom as well as the preference of the group. They usually ride past Dunbar Gardens on their way back to the home base. It’s enjoyable to meet the variety of people from many places who stop in on one of the bike tours. The smiles on their faces are recommendation enough for taking a bike tour instead of hassling with a car on our country roads.

Hopefully when you visit the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival you might run across one of our signs pointing the way to another roadside attraction! We don’t offer any frills or thrills, but we have this nice selection of willow baskets to check out.

Our small farm is admittedly pretty rustic, and I think many visitors that wander down our driveway are surprised at the quality of the willow baskets that they find in our barn. There are few willow basketmakers around let alone one as accomplished as Katherine Lewis. It is enjoyable to explain how we grow the basketry willows, and show folks the freshly harvested bundles.

Of course, our baskets are available any time of year. We don’t mind if the tulips are the headline act for Spring visitors to our beautiful valley. We figure they will be back to get a taste of the wonderful fruits and vegetables also grown in the valley, take in the Festival of Family Farms in October, or maybe a visit to nearby La Conner to take in the Museum of Northwest Art and eat at our favorite Skagit restaurant Nell Thorn. Stop by, we’re around!

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