Trapping Fish in a Willow Form

It is very unusual for a maker to be given a shape and asked to re-create it in specific materials but this was precisely the challenge which basketmaker and environmental artist Valerie Pragnell was given.

The form in question was the craftscotland logo, an emblem which had been designed in such a way that it could be re-created as a three dimensional form.

The circular logo which splits down the centre with the left semi-circle in shade was not the ideal shape to re-create in damp willow because of the straight element in the centre and the right angles extending from this.

Valerie’s approach to this dilemma was not to have a formula but to be open to ideas and her first move was to do a full scale mock-up in cardboard.   From this she decided to put 60 to 70 pieces of each willow – she used green and red willow in the form - onto a jig.  She then drilled them all twice and attached them in a semi circle to using black thorns.  This was then wired up and drawn to create the circle of the logo.  Although it was a time consuming process to use individual pieces of willow she felt the circle of white spots at the centre were much nicer than bent willow.

In her workshop in the Borders, where she also grows her own willow, Valerie has a collection of different materials which she uses in her work.  She had some handmade block printed paper of little fish and felt that the form was ‘a bit like a fish trap’ so decided to develop this idea by cutting out the printed fish, painting them red and weaving them into the dark side of the logo along with Tibetan cherry bark.  The finished form is a beautiful representation of the craftscotland logo.

This form was the fifth re-creation of the craftscotland logo.  The other four in silver, wood, stone and textiles were displayed at the launch of the craftscotland website last year at the Challenging Craft conference.

The five different forms show the diversity of approaches that contemporary makers use.  Textile artist Claire Heminsley recreated the form in linen and black organdy with linen thread'; Michael O’Donnell turned, polished and sandblasted the logo from Perthshire oak; Frances Pelly cut the logo from Caithness flagstone and Len Smith used rapid prototyping to electroform plastic in silver.

The craftscotland logo and brand form the foundation for promoting Scottish craft both at home and internationally and the five forms are an important element of this campaign.