Elise Thornton

I have always been involved in craft, my hands are my tools. I took my first basket class 35 years ago and have rarely done anything else.

My exploration of willow basketry began on Washington Island at Sievers Fiber Arts school. The founder Walter Shultz brought European willow cuttings to Wisconsin to grow and found people to teach classes. As these teachers have learned and improved their techniques, so have I.Since then I have sought outclasses given by basketmakers from across the US and Europe who have come to teach in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. 

About 15 years ago I started working with various barks and have learned from Russian and Native American teachers. There are hundreds of books on basket making but hands on teaching gives you the knowledge of how the materials feel to make them do what you want. My education never ends, I take classes every year to learn new techniques and improve. I’ve shown my work in small galleries and art shows around the state from Milwaukee to Boulder Junction and in between. In 2019 I exhibited work at the National Basketry Organization biennial convention held at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. My work can always be found at Gallery Q in Stevens Point.