Art For The Masses – The Art of Coiling-Pine Basket Making Series

For 21 years artist, Gloria Peters was aboard a 40’ sailboat, traveling the world. Peters had an older sister who took art classes in high school. Fascinated, she tried her hand at it. She’s always loved being creative – whether with paper, fabric or glass.  In the late 60s, Billie Ross, a purse designer on Palm Beach’s Worth Avenue, created fashion that fascinated Peters. She began painting purses for Ross.

Peters has always been a designer at heart; self-taught in several art areas. From creating her own wardrobe when she was young, to Ross’ brand-name purses, while at sea Peters created designs for inlaid wood table tops for boats, specializing in the Compass Rose and special orders. For three or four months, Hurricane season landed Gloria and her husband Mike up the Rio Dulce River in Guatemala, where other cruisers in the marina passed the time making pine needle baskets. Peters creative nature took over. Twenty-one years later, her baskets created for family, friends, and clients are a treasure of Peters’ artistic efforts.

Peters also does stained-glass, mosaics, and paints watercolor. “Everything I do is related to nature,” Peters said about her work. She claims her process is sometimes not as others do, but it works for her. We are pleased to have Peters with us this First Quarter, beginning with a class on basket making, “The Art of Coiling.”

The Art of Coiling will teach the basics of pine needle basket making, including selection and preparation of materials, four different stitches, embellishment, and finishing. Participants will come away from the class with a beautiful decorative basket, as well as the knowledge that they can use to begin this artform on their own.

Class Date/Time: Saturdays, August 10 – September 7 [no class on August 31], 1 – 4 p.m.

Place: Visual Art Center, HAL [teal building on Lake Jackson, ample parking in the lot]

Instructor/Artist: Gloria Peters

Cost: $65 – includes all materials for your 8” x 4” basket