"I've only been doing this for about six months," she said. Barbara Allen took a two-day workshop here in Cedaredge this last fall. "Since then, the group that took the lessons has been meeting each month."

They have followed directions from an instruction book and have learned a variety of techniques and found motivation by getting together regularly. How-to instructions are also readily available on the Internet. Results of her efforts were on display at the Stolte Shed at Pioneer Town on Heritage Day, Saturday, May 23. Barbara majored in art in college while attending Wichita State University, graduating in 1963.

She said that she's not self motivated and finds that taking classes pushes her to keep painting. She has been taking pastel and oil painting lessons from local artist Barbara Torke.

Paintings are usually still-life in the winter months and landscapes on-site in good weather. She and others have traveled to Moab, Grand Mesa and Rifle Falls for outstanding views and inspiration.

She doesn't sell her paintings, preferring instead to give them away to family members. She is a member of Delta Fine Arts and her paintings have appeared in local art shows.

Another current project is building a dollhouse for her grandchildren "I've started with a kit of 1,000 pieces. It will take a while before it's completed. I'm papering and painting interior walls before placing them. That's easier to do rather than trying to paint and paper after the house is assembled. I've been finding odds and ends of dollhouse furniture at garage sales when I find pieces. So far I've found a sofa, two beds and some other pieces. I still have to get bathroom and kitchen furnishings. Dollhouse furniture can be very expensive and I don't need anything too fancy. It isn't for show; it's for the kids to play with."

Variety adds spice to Barbara's life. She enjoys being actively involved and the friends she has made through her many artistic ventures.

Basket weaving has a rich heritage, and is one of the widest spread crafts. Because it uitlizes natural materials like wood and grasses, little remains from ancient times but the oldest known baskets date back as least 12,000 years. According to Wikipedia, basketry can be divided into four types:

• Coiled, using grasses and rushes;

• Plaiting, using materials that are wide and ribbon-like, such as palms, yucca or New Zealand fax;

• Twining, using roots and tree bark in a weaving teachnique where two or more flexible elements cross each other as they weave through stiffer radial spokes;

• And Wicker or Splint, using reed, cane, willow, oak or ash.

A Williamsburg basket such as the one Allen worked on during Heritage Day is marked by the two sides which bow out slightly, and get larger as it is weaved up. Linda Grunkemeyer worked on an Amy's basket, known for a square base and a "D" shaped wooden handle to provide support and easy lifting.

Baskets can also reflect cultural traditions. In Charleston, S.C., African slaves kept their culture alive through unique sweetgrass basket designs. These skills have been passed down the generations, and today sweetgrass artisans have created a vibrant local industry.

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