Big Barn School of Basketry
This is a special partnership with local basket weaver Sian Gwynne Turner. Sian is a master crafts person and we are honoured to have her as our basket weaver in residence at the Big Barn School of Basketry. She is a fabulous teacher and makes sure that there is a good dose of fun included in her tutorial. Sian offers a variety of styles and varied materials for her workshops with a focus on willow weaving.
Visit our events page to find out about upcoming basketry workshops.
ABOUT SIAN GWYNNE TURNER
Born in Wales and entering the Canadian forest as a young girl, handmade and home grown has been the theme of my life. My journey in basketry began during a three year woodworking apprenticeship in North Carolina where we felled and rived (split) white oak to make splintwork baskets and chairs in the Appalachian forest. After settling in the Nova Scotian Acadian forest 38 years ago, I discovered willow work through the Nova Scotia Basketry Guild under the tutelage of both local and guest basket makers from other parts of Canada and Europe. Raising our family and running a rural business took up a chunk of life and at that time basketry was a bit of a sideline, but with an early retirement in 2012 I was able to focus on both making and teaching using a variety of local and imported materials.
A turning point came in 2018 when I did a vocational training with a professional willow basket maker in France (Adrian Charlton, Norfolk Baskets). This gave me the confidence to explore and delve into all things willow. Including growing my own specialty willows, coppiced for long term sustainability (carbon sink).
In the past 10 years I have perfected my craft through practice and skills acquisition and introduced basket weaving to many a willing hand through classes in Community Centres, Art centres, private homes and in my own studio. I sell through commission, galleries, farmer’s markets and in my Helyg (Welsh for willow) Gallery here in Harbour Centre. My goal is to promote the use of renewable and sustainable household basketry goods and show those interested how to make their own functional, durable and beautiful containers for use in everyday life.
With the recent demise of single use plastics now is the time to embrace reusable and ecologically long lasting baskets to do the heavy work, or delight the eyes and the senses. Through teaching, promoting and using willow baskets, I hope to fill a gap in a tide of desire to make things by hand, from scratch. Imparting a quality that only daily use and appreciation will reveal, willow and all natural fibres are the only sustainable and durable materials we ought to be using.
The Big Barn School of Basketry, located in Meadow Green, Antigonish county, is an incredible venue where we can share these skills and learn in a supportive and fun environment. Starting in the spring of 2022 we will be offering a variety of classes from simpler 1/2 day workshops to weekend long intensive sessions in basket making using locally grown and gathered materials. With few exceptions we will be providing sustainably coppiced basketry willow for these classes from our own plantations in Harbour Centre and Seabright, Antigonish county.
Basket making is an all encompassing set of skills that will test and improve your own innate abilities and provide many lasting useful and beautiful household objects. Once we have a community of weavers we can gather and share and move forward with the knowledge that our efforts are sustainable and life fulfilling.
Nothing like picking berries into a basket you have made by hand!