Sylvia Friday

Basket Maker, Folk Artist, Storyteller & Teacher

I belong to the way of weaving like a spider in her web. The spirit of my work is woven from my experience of the generosity and poetry alive in the natural world. I am endlessly fascinated by the ways we enchant ourselves & each other through story, I enjoy learning about history, folklore & old songs for what they tell about old ways of living, taboos and material culture.

When gathering plant materials to weave with, I harvest in ways that keep the plants living. Engaging in a cycle of reciprocity and return offers me deep relationships with the plants I tend. As a basket maker, I have to know plant identification, methods of gathering, seasonal rhythms, preparation of materials and a variety of weaving techniques. The majority of time it takes to make a basket is in the gathering and processing of materials rather than the weaving. Repetition and memory move my hands to form and shape a vessel. Entering into a conversation with the material, a back and forth of possibilities. The everyday use of a basket continues the story as patterns of touch imbue layers of meaning into the familiar.

“It’s strange to be here, the mystery never leaves you” – John O’Donahue

In gratitude to my teachers, Margaret Mathewson, Skelk, Eli Goodwin, Ben Goodwin, Willow, ZigZag spider, Lobster creek, Storm King & Bingboo.