A Tisket, a Tasket...

So where have I been for the last couple of weeks? One place is Lincoln, Nebraska. We visited our friends Karen and Robert Duncan and got to see their new house and the most fabulous personal art collection I've ever seen. I hope they won't mind me putting these photos that Russ took on the blog, but they do have a book being published about their house, so I guess they're used to the publicity.

The house is surrounded with about 40 acres of amazing landscape and sculpture. This is a Louise Bourgeios spider sculpture which looks great in front of a formal garden of trees.

Karen has a collection of Ikebana baskets that made my heart skip a beat. I could have sat in this room with the baskets for a whole day to appreciate them, but there wasn't time... This collection has been shown in museums.

On a another couple of walls there is a collection of contemporary baskets. Baskets made of thorns, of ticket stubs, clothpins, toys, wire, grasshoppers, feathers -- anything you could imagine actually.

Of particular interest to me was this one. I think it was made by Kay Kahn. I've been facinated with her work for a long time, but have only seen photos until now. It was a real privilege to be able to study this "teapot" up close and for real.

After the tour and lunch at the Duncans, Robert took us to see the International Quilt Study Center that has recently been in the news because of the new building in progress at the University of Lincoln. This was an unexpected interview with Michael James! I had brought some of my quilts to show the Duncans, but had not anticipated this surprise arranged by Robert. A little nerve-racking, I felt like a student going into a critique. But the response was positive.