About

Learn to prepare the fresh branches of the Western red cedar into a sculptural showpiece. Sue Skelly is famous for her innovative sculptural art pieces made using cedar branches. She will show students how to make a branch armature and randomly weave a multitude of hand-gathered branches into a form to create a sturdy indoor or outdoor cedar ball. 

It is suggested that if any student is a collector, to bring some suitable items to class with them that are large enough, (5” x 5” or so) to put inside the center of the sphere. Another idea for students, is to bring ornaments, or objects that have holes in them that are large enough to string onto the cedar branches as they weave, thus incorporating their personal objects into their spheres. 

Materials Fee:  $75, payable at the class by cash or check made out to BARN

Skill Level: All skill levels welcome.

Age Requirement: Open to ages 14 and older.

Bring a sack lunch, water, and comfortable work clothes.

INSTRUCTOR: On a trip to southern England, as a landscape designer gathering inspiration, Sue Skelly was impressed by the miles of wattle-brush fencing along the farms and lanes.  After returning from her trip in 1989, her relationship with Western Red Cedar began when she purchased piece of land with a beautiful mature natural forest.  This environment gave her the idea of building her own wattle fence using the abundant and renewable resource of cedar limbs.  Through trial and error she built her first woven cedar fence, and her passion for working with cedar was born. 

Over the years, Sue has developed many styles and forms of art using cedar branches; some functional and some purely sculptural.  She loves the process; being in the comfort of the woods with her dogs; harvesting and preparing just the right branches for each project.  Sue is a member of the NW Basket Weavers Guild, where she has learned many weaving techniques with all parts of the Western Red Cedar tree from a community of teachers.  Sue’s Fine Art Degree and passion for making is manifested in her original Cedar art; a line of beautiful button jewelry; and in her Cedar fencing and trellis work.  Sue has been a featured artist in Martha Stewart Living  magazine, as well as in other books and publications, and her woven vedar works are in public and private collections.