Jacquelyn L. Lawrence, Elizabethtown, KY

Heartland Basketry

baskets

With a degree in fine arts and education, Jacquelyn Lawrence taught elementary school for many years. It was during a required in-service training session that she discovered basketry. She took a workshop in basketry at Hazel Green Academy in Wolf County, Kentucky and has been making baskets ever since.

Jacquelyn states, “Basket making is an important part of the Appalachian Folk Art Heritage, and while I am not an Eastern Kentuckian, I found the medium very satisfying.” To personalize her baskets, Jacquelyn often uses a wood burning tool to draw various motifs on the band or handle of her baskets. These embellishments are often based on natural theme such as flowers or other rural images of the Bluegrass State.

Using high quality rattan, Jacquelyn weaves a wide variety of functional and decorative baskets, and finishes them with a stain made from linseed oil for a rich comfortable look.

Works by Jacquelyn Lawrence can be found at Appalachian Fireside Gallery, Berea, KY; True Kentucky, Glendale, KY; Kentucky State Park gift shops; and the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea, Berea, KY.