About The Art
Susan's horsehair baskets resemble pottery in form, with Native American influences. They are created with all-natural materials,which are coiled and stitched with linen cord and then embellished with feathers, semi-precious stones, quills, and beads. Each basket requires many hours of work, much of which is done under magnifiers, using very small dental and surgery tools. Some of the baskets are very small, reminiscent of a fine piece of jewelry.
The kelp baskets are made from kelp collected at California beaches (a special kelp license is required). The kelp is sorted, cleaned, dried, processed, and then cut into strips, which are stitched together using raffia or waxed linen cord. Driftwood, seaweed, and shells collected from Pacific Coast beaches and various world travels are added as embellishments.
Palm baskets are made from the sheaths of the Manila Palm tree, gathered on annual trips to Hawaii, and embellished with coconut fiber and other natural elements.