Alice Nelson

I made my first basket while still in elementary school and have been fascinated with basketry ever since.

I have worked as both a Registered Nurse and an Elementary School Teacher, but I have always felt most content with my life when there was time to create. Growing up near the Illinois cornfields influenced my love for cornhusk dolls. I took a workshop on Pine needle basketry in 1977 and ever since that has been my favorite medium. I have made, sold and taught basketry and other nature crafts for 25 + years. For many of those years I have been a member of the Pottery Place Plus and am now happy to return after a few years absense.

Throughout history, or more correctly "herstory", people, mostly women, have taken the plants that grow where they live, and used them to create useful and decorative items. I feel a connection to these creative and resourceful people as I glean needles from our majestic Ponderosa Pine trees and harvest other materials from my backyard or the local forests and find ways to create baskets, wall hangings, jewelry and dolls for others to enjoy.

The following quote from Elizabeth Jenson speaks to why I relish making art from nature:

A basket made from natural materials is more than a basket: it is gift from the Earth. Woven into it are the memories of sunny afternoons, the smell of wood and meadow, the honest feel of bark and vine. A basket from nature's bounty holds a history of human skill, ingenuity, and care.

My hope, if you take one of my creations home, is that you will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed the creating.

I can be reached at 509-535-3802