SALLY METCALF
HANDCRAFTEDBASKET &
PLATE ART
INSPIRED BY NATURE
About My Basket Art
Explore my collection of hand-woven, nature-inspired designs.
Basket Art Designs & Styles
Handcrafted designs Inspired by nature
Basket Art Designs
Basketmaking is a meditation as well as an artform. Crafting each item requires patience, time and an appreciation for the materials at hand. I choose maple bark for its flexibility and strength, which will help each basket last for years to come. One of the joys of crafting with this material is watching its transformation from natural substance to an art piece anyone can enjoy.
Basket Art Styles
Each basket takes inspiration from natural colors and forms. During weaving, the fibers are shaped to create a strong structure that not only supports the entire basket but brings out the organic details present in the materials.
About My Plate Art
Explore my collection of handcrafted designs made from natural materials.
Plate Art Designs
Many decades ago I found a large dusty African winnowing basket made out of grass in the back room of an import store. I was totally captivated by its rustic beauty and simple design. I studied it for a long time before I attempted to make these plates as my own interpretation in response to this basket.
Plate Art Styles
My handcrafted plates are woven from natural materials that give them strength and durability that will stand the test of time. With their woven designs and styling, I’m able to imbue each piece with a range of captivating colors and patterns.
My Basket Art Collection
Explore my collection of handcrafted, nature-inspired baskets
Basket Art Design #159
Double wall construction
5 1/4" H x 6 1/4" W x 6 1/4" D.
Waxed linen
Basket Art Design #182
Double walled, waxed linen, twined, 6” H
Basket Art Design #157
Waxed linen, maple bark and wood, hand forged copper pins w/patina.12" H x 7" W x 5 1/2" D.
Basket Art Design #180
Double walled, waxed linen with bead, twined, 6” H
SALLY METCALF BASKET & PLATE ART COLLECTION
Uniquely Handcrafted
Explore my collection of handcrafted, nature-inspired baskets and plates.
Sally Metclaf's Basket Art is Uniquely Handcrafted
Pulling a material out of nature has been one of my greatest joys of making baskets
Nature Inspired by Design
Organic materials are what makes basketry unique in the art world. From the beginning humans used all sorts of organic materials to make useful and ornamental items and these materials are still used today.
I discovered maple bark and its usefulness by observing its transformation once it separated from the tree. With a little experimentation I discovered it's its potential in my work. I soak it, bend it, drill holes in it and create the beginnings of my forms. Hand forged copper pins hold the pieces together, and waxed linen cordage is threaded onto the base and woven up the sides.
Style & Statement
A gift or display piece as unique as you are
One-of-a-kind,
sculptures, & display pieces
My baskets and plates are one-of-a-kind items imbued with a genuine, handcrafted touch. All materials are locally sourced and shaped by hand.
Beautiful Materials
Handpicked materials provided by nature and handcrafted to last.
Gathered and sourced from local trees
Cut to size and soaked to shape
Woven from maple bark
Maple bark is chosen for its flexibility and strength, which will help each basket last for years to come. Fastened with hand-forged copper pins for stability.
Traditional Twining Method
Twining is used to create strong shapes and structures that help each basket retain its unique proportions and form.
Articles & Press
Find out more about my handcrafted basket and plate art pieces
Sally and Sara / Photography by Catherine Rousey
Catching up with Sally Metcalf, basket weaver who considers nature her studio and has long foraged raw materials — willow, dogwood, bark and branches — for her exquisite sculptural and colorful pieces.
We reconnected with Sally recently for a conversation about her craft...
Women Create Newsletter January 2023
There is some question as to whether my work is basketry or sculpture, but I prefer to leave that determination up to the viewer.
Weaving Works of Art Courtesy of Nature
Sally Metcalf creates beautiful baskets--functional and sculptural—out of big leaf maple bark, cottonwood whips, iris plants and other natural materials found in the wild. And she will open her studio in Hailey to the public Saturday...
Basket Art Designs &
Styles
Nature-inspired art that brings your home to life
Weaving Works of Art
Though I attribute nature with inspiring me to craft my first basket, a lifetime of experiences has made my success as a weaver possible. I spent my childhood in Los Angeles near the ocean, and sea life, particularly the shape and movement of anemones, has always influenced my work.
Artist Spotlight: Sally Metcalf
Sally Metcalf, a basket weaver from Hailey, Idaho, has always considered nature her studio. She forages raw materials from the landscape around her and takes inspiration for her inventive and astounding works of art from the strength of the forest, the fluidity of the sea, and her love of the complexity and precision of Japanese basketry.
Crafting from Nature
The phases of my basket making are seasonal. I begin in the late winter collecting willow and dogwood, and in the late spring, I gather bark if needed. In the summer, I rest my hands from weaving and move on to gardening, teaching, and exhibiting my work.