Battle Ground weaver Connie Ford collaborates with local artists to expand her artistic horizons
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Cheasanee Hetherington, The Reflector
A long basket, part of a series by Connie Ford, is used to showcase a variety of materials, including copper, seagrass and willow.
Using locally sourced materials, multimedia artist Connie Ford combines traditional and unusual fibers to weave unique artworks in her Battle Ground studio. Ford seeks to stretch the boundaries of fiber weaving by collaborating with other local artists and combining their artistic mediums.
Ford was inspired to pursue basket weaving while viewing a Native American art exhibit showcased at Elma Elementary, where she was the principal. The beautiful woven baskets on display captivated her, she said, and she began taking weaving classes in Olympia.
After retiring from her career in education, Ford focused on honing her artistic abilities. She has experimented with weaving different fibers and materials, including woods, vines, plant stems and metals. She has also ventured into wool fiber felting.
"I'm just attracted to anything that is fiber," Ford said.
Fiber weaving is a time-consuming art, Ford said. Preparing the fibers, weaving and finishing the product takes days.
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