Heike has been making baskets since 1993 and creates strong, functional pieces following traditional patterns. Occasionally she enjoys weaving more decorative and contemporary objects. She works predominantly with willow, a durable, long lasting material which grows in many different shades of coloured bark. Sometimes she adds other natural materials like cane, dogwood, rush or straw to her baskets. She also makes garden structures like obelisks and trellises and constructs living willow sculptures. Basketmaking is a labour of love; slow paced, quiet, rhythmic and very tactile. The willow is grown organically in her garden and harvested manually every winter. The baskets are made using simple hand tools. That makes for a very time consuming craft, but one with an extreme low carbon footprint, which is very appealing to Heike. She works at Baurnafea Studio together with her husband Klaus Hartmann, who is a ceramicist. Sometimes they embark on creating collaborative pieces, combining clay and woven materials.
Where: Baurnafea, Castlewarren, Co. Kilkenny
Phone: 085 7459820
www.baurnafeastudio.ie
