BA Hereford College of Art

Weaving willow off-grid
 
Helen’s art baskets and striking lampshades are a contemporary take on an old craft, woven from natural materials that include willow she has planted and harvested herself, rushes gathered from rivers and lochs, and other foraged fibres. She is a “New Traveller” and raised three children from a horse and wagon for 15 years, often making baskets from freely-available hedgerow materials. “But I wanted to expand my knowledge of contemporary craft and widen my horizons as a maker.” So she studied for a degree. “This has given me confidence to experiment and push boundaries from traditional basketry to contemporary design.” Now she lives in a converted truck off-grid on her own five acres of land. “I’m passionate about my lifestyle and my essentially circular craft.” As a GREEN GRAD, Helen won a Graduate Innovator Award with Design-Nation.