Biography

I make high quality (often sightly quirky) baskets, sculpture and living willow structures.

When making my baskets I aim for a blend of beautiful and practical, combining traditional techniques and materials with contemporary shapes and unusual additions. I prefer to make baskets that are a little bit different, keeping my artistic, experimental side engaged.
I usually use untreated natural willow, making the most of the varied colours of the bark, and enjoying the fact that every piece is unique. The immediacy of the connection with the materials that basketmaking allows is really important to me; I love that I can shape the willow with my hands directly, with no intervening tools.
My sculpture varies from the small (usually self-directed and mostly inspired by nature) to the vast, (which tend to be unusual commissions, often in a wider range of materials). The former is a vehicle for my unique response to my world, and the latter an opportunity to stretch myself, to think and work in new ways in collaboration with others.
My living willow structures are solid and attractive. This side of my business has allowed me to take my creativity outdoors. This feeds my soul and keeps me connected with the cycles of life.

I became hooked on willow after making my first basket in 1995. Since then, my passion for weaving has grown organically from a hobby to a successful business - SalixArts. It has taken me all over the place and allowed me to work in the widest range of environments, from schools in seriously deprived areas to stately homes, and everything in between! I love the variety that my work brings, and am continually amazed at how versatile a tool willow can be. I also love passing my skills onto others, and have now been teaching for over 20 years. Constantantly curious and eager to learn, I have, throughout my career, continued to study with many well respected basketmakers, and completed the City and Guilds in Creative Basketry, at City Lit in London. During my time there I was awarded the Barbara Maynard Cup and an adult Learners Award. I am now proud to be teaching there myself.

I run my business from my lovely home in rural Cambridgeshire, where I hold regular willow workshops.

“I am fascinated by the natural cycles of life and the place of art and the artist within those cycles. Living willow structures lie dormant in winter, the bare stems emphasize the structural shape. Early spring brings fat buds in anticipation of the new shoots and fresh leaves of late spring and the heavy covering which provides such comfortable shade in the summer. Autumn sees the leaves drop and we begin again. Each winter I harvest the last summers growth to make room for the coming summer’s branches.”

Debbie Hall

EDUCATION
BA Hons Fine Art, University of Leeds - 1990
MA Children’s Book Illustration, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge – 2004
City and Guilds Creative Basketry pt 2, City Lit London - 2011

AWARDS
Basket of the Year Competition Winner, Worshipful Company of Basketmakers, 2018
Barbara Maynard Cup, City Lit London, 2011
Adult Learner Award, City Lit London, 2010

EXHIBITIONS
For a full list of my upcoming, current and past exhibitions check out the events page here

TEACHING
CURRENT
Bespoke workshops run onsite at my home studio. For more info look at our workshops page
Cambridge Art Makers
Cambridge Botanic Gardens
The City Lit London

PUBLICATIONS
I have really enjoyed working in the garden of the amazing Talliston House. Check out this article in the Autumn 2017 edition of the Talliston Times

"A Weaver's Tale part 1" and "A Weaver's Tale part 2" - An article from the April 2015 edition of "The Cambridge Magazine". Freelance journalist Lisa Millard, and photographer David Johnson, visited me on a beautiful sunny day in March. This article is the result of several hours spent wandering round Blacksmiths and talking at length about all sorts of things.

If you’d like to read a bit more about my willow weaving journey, there is a nice article about SalixArts in the Autumn 2014 edition of UK Handmade Magazine

"Welcome to the Willow Workshop" and "Willow Talk" Articles in "Garden Answers Magazine", November and December 2011. These are articles on making Willow Plant supports and Hanging Bird Tables/Trays written by Justine Harding, a freelance journalist who visited me over the summer to try her hand at making her own under my tuition. We had a very successful day, which has been recorded well with clear photos of every stage of construction, and some really lovely pics of the garden.

"Learning through willow" Article in "Early Years Educator", Volume 12, No 7, November 2010. Debbie was the willow consultant for this article (Written by Dawn Francis Pester) as well as the 'case study'.

"Moved by willow", article by Debbie Hall, "Kindling - The Journal for Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Care and Education" Issue 5, 2004.