A modern look at basketry

• • Doreen is one of the most important artisans in her country
• • She works with materials she finds in her surroundings
• • She seeks a connection between her works and the viewer

One day in 1998, while abroad, Doreen Bayley bought a magazine in which two artisans in West Virginia were being interviewed: Tom and Connie McColley. After reading it, she decided to travel to the United States and do an intensive one-week course with them. "The workshop was open 24 hours a day. We felled a tree, learned how to debark, made the ribs by hand and the easiest part was weaving. Since then, I attended conventions to learn and perfect different techniques. I took classes with John McQueen, Marilyn Moore, Marilyn Sharp, Jill Nordfors Clark, Cass Schorsch and others," she says. Doreen finds some weaving techniques meditative, relaxing, "while others present challenges that force us to change tactics." Doreen is an intuitive craftswoman who enjoys the freedom to create. "I always let the work show me the way, let me play," she explains. "The walks with my dogs give me the possibility to gather most of the materials I use."