Elise Thornton

 I’ve been involved in art and craft all my life trying different mediums and enjoying working and creating things with my hands. When I took my first basket class everything else, I did was abandoned. This was what I was meant to do!       

I started out working with imported reed and worked with that for several years. When I learned I could grow willow and wild harvest it in my area. I took classes to learn all I could about willow work.              

Thirty years ago, I started a patch of willow and grew ten varieties of basket willow each one giving me a different color to work with.     

A large part of my work is the harvesting and processing of my materials. I love being out in the woods and fields gathering.                 

I’ve learned (and am still learning) to work with other natural materials roots, barks and grasses. I continue to take classes every year learning techniques from basket makers across the country and around the world.