Seeing my mother and grandmother spend their time creating wonderful handmade items has left its mark on me. I have been fascinated with fiber-based handwork since I was a child, both traditional and contemporary. In my 35 years of fiber arts, I have made my home in a variety of locations in the West – the high desert of Northeastern Nevada, California’s Sonoma Valley wine country and its central valley, and Central Oregon. I have always been captivated by the feel and tradition of functional craft and artwork rooted in each of these regions. From saddle blankets in Nevada’s cowboy country to wearable art in California’s Sonoma Valley, most of my work has been focused on weaving. But when I moved to Central Oregon, I began exploring the history of pine needle baskets and creating my own. Each of my coiled baskets is unique, made of Ponderosa Pine needles collected near my home where I have found a few special trees that have beautiful long needles. Many of my basket centers are of sagebrush and juniper branches also collected in Central Oregon. Other accents (beads, wire, stones) I have collected over the years knowing they would come in handy someday.