About the artist

Beverley Jenkins has lived in the rural backwaters of Essex for the past 30 years and her home overlooks the creeks and inlets made famous in Arthur Ransome's book 'Secret Water'.

She has always valued and practiced creative expression either through performance, art, textiles and design or with her previous work as a counsellor using art as a therapeutic tool.

A chance visit to the art tent at a country show where a magnificent willow horse was on display gave inspiration to a new way of working in the creative field.

Research led her to the Somerset Levels where most of the commercial UKwillow growing occurs and she was able to see the practice of harvesting the willow to processing and preparing the rods for basketry and fencing.  The final stage of watching the basket weavers at work cultivated her passion for the ancient craft of willow work.

Beverley has given the historic form a modern twist as she manipulates willow rods into quirky wildlife and farmyard animals. She also enjoys creating abstract sculptural forms suitable for the arty home and garden and is exploring the current trend for Zarzo baskets.

“Willow is a completely natural product and a wonderful but sometimes tricky medium to work with and I find the art of willow weaving to be both a creative and mindful process.”