Anita Lomas

I began  working with natural fibres almost by accident. My basketry weaving journey began with willow, after completing the City & Guilds at Westhope, but took a different turn when the Covid pandemic began. I’d relocated all my willow in order to build a garden studio, when the lockdowns started. Was it bad timing or fate? With plenty of time and no willow, I saw all the potential growing in front of me in the garden. A new chapter began for Much Nita Weaving.

There’s a real sense of connection in working with home grown natural fibres. For me, there's something meaningful about creating from what nature provides. Watching the plants emerge in spring and flourish through summer, knowing that as autumn arrives and their leaves die back, they will be transformed into something new. I work with iris sibirica, daylily, red hot poker, crocosmia and daffodils from the garden, alongside English rush and willow bark.

My weaving time is interjected with producing the BA Journal. My role as Graphic Designer, my professional before basketry, means switching from creating with fibres to creating with a computer. My mind moves from materials to structuring page layouts, images and the puzzle of slotting all the content together succinctly. It’s hugely rewarding to have the opportunity to keep both skills alive in two fields I’m passionate about, even though they are so different from each other.

• Basketry
• Contemporary
• Natural Fibres
• Rush (Basketry)
• Traditional