About Sean

This pic was taken at my favorite Maui breakfast spot, The Gazebo. I'm wearing a Pipipi shell lei made by Kapono‘ai Molitau, owner of Native Intelligence in Wailuku. It takes a very long time to create a Pipipi lei...a long time to find the shells in the first place, a long time to collect the correct sizes, and then a long time to string them so that they match and lay correctly. Mahalo nui loa to Kapono'ai for all his work on this lei, for supporting practitioners, and for all he does to keep Hawaiian culture and traditions alive.
Welcome to Basket Diaries! My name is Sean and I am the author of this blog and creator of many of the baskets and other projects highlighted here.

I am a non-Native artist who has had the honor of volunteering with the Steilacoom Tribe (a non-Federally recognized Tribe in Washington State) for many years. It was through the Steilacoom Tribe that I was asked to participate in the annual Canoe Journey that takes place in the Salish Sea every summer. Many of my baskets, jewelry, and other creations originated from my involvement with the Journey and the need to make hand-made gifts for potlatches, thank you dinners, general gifts, and other ceremonies.

I took my first weaving class in 2008 from Joe Feddersen, A Colville printmaker, basket weaver, and glass artist who currently teaches at Evergreen State College in Washington State. I have since taken classes from Sue Marvin, Duwamish weaver Mary Lou Slaughter, Hawaiian Master Weaver Pohaku Kaho'ohanohano, and many others. I thank them all for their guidance and patience.

Design Notes...
Being a bit of a science geek, one way that I bring my own design style to my baskets, jewelry, and other creations is by incorporating the Fibonacci sequence, a series of numbers (1,1,2,3,5,8,13...) that creates a pattern that is seen throughout nature; in the shape of the Milky Way, the shape of a nautilus shell, the pattern of sunflower seeds, the proportion of butterfly wings, etc.

I give all of my basket designs a name, a plant or a place I have visited that has meaning for me. You can see some of these other standard designs in my Etsy shop. I am always happy to create a new design, use different colored yarns or use new materials so special orders and requests are welcomed.

The small upside down 'u' shapes on the bottom of the basket are actually horseshoe designs often seen on early paintings of Blackfoot and Sioux ledger and other paintings. This is how I sign my baskets as I was given a name as a youngster by a Navajo Auntie, 'the one who rides many horses' or 'rides many horses' for short.

The 'embossed' design at the top of the basket is also something I do on all my baskets...a small thank you gesture and prayer to the the Creator for my family, friends, teachers, and for the weaving skills I continue to learn.