Gardeners will all tell you that dealing weeds, invasive plants, and old leaves can be quite frustrating. One artist found a way to make these irritating things special.
Suzie Grieve, a UK-based artist, uses leaves, dried vines, and other natural objects that you can find in every yard to make miniature baskets that are adorable. Bored Panda spoke with the artist recently to reveal that she first woven anything when she was living in central France. Suzie explained, “It was my job create vegetable beds so the abundantly growing hazel I used to weave the edges.”
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According to the artist, she felt connected to the craft as soon as she put the sticks in their place. The simple rhythm of weaving allows her to feel connected to the land. The artist says, “It’s an incredible feeling to be able to create with your hands and what is growing around you.”
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Suzie states that finding the right material to make her baskets and jewelry has been a challenge since she moved to the Lake District. She had to change the way she found the plants. The artist explained that there is not enough wild space to harvest materials freely. This has led to her making wonderful connections with local landowners who have allowed her to access their fields and woodlands in return for simple work like chopping wood.
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It’s a long process with wild-crafted materials to weave. Suzie says that although it takes hours to find the plants, gather them, process them, and dry them, she loves the end result. It suits me well because I’m an introvert. Between wandering through the forest looking for leaves, and weaving away in my workshop, it works perfectly. I have constantly been attracted by plants and I am so grateful that I can spend my days making little baskets from them.
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Suzie mentions that her favorite plants for weaving are bramble, bindweed, and dandelion. These plants are easy to remove, mowed, or pruned. The artist suggests that you can make a basket out of them instead of letting them go to waste.
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Suzie explained, “Being dependent on nature like that also gives you such deep respect and desire for the environment around me. It’s not in a foragers interest to overharvest or damage the plant population.”
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