Weaving has been a constant, I originally trained in textiles as a fabric weaver
before taking up the craft of basket making some thirty years ago.
I make both functional baskets and sculptural pieces. After moving to Devon in 1985 I planted
a willow bed and use mainly natural materials including hedgerow materials, hazel, oak and ash.
These are all harvested locally.
Working with a source of sustainable and renewable materials connects me to the seasonal cycle.
Basketry is a slow craft; growing the materials, cutting, grading, drying, soaking,
gives control but adds to the making time.
I study traditional techniques and find them endlessly intriguing, refined to perfectly
suit the available material and the function. I have been interested in European techniques
associated with willow and wood for a long time and this continues to be an inspiration.
I try to find my own way to use them to create form and texture.
I am a co-founder and director of Basketry and Beyond,
a voluntary organisation promoting basketry techniques,
the use of natural materials, sustainable construction
and applications in the widest sense.
Selected work may be found at
The Devon Guild of Craftsmen, Bovey Tracey, Devon TQ13 9AF
Or by order/commission: hilary@hilaryburns.com
Publication
Cane, Rush and Willow, weaving with natural materials’ published by Batsford.
Membership
Yeoman member of the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers
Member of the Devon Guild of Craftsmen