Summer Williamson:  Pine Coiling

Summer Williamson: Pine Coiling



Summer Williamson is a high school student and Larry Hewitt is her art teacher

Clay Pot with Pine Coiling 
Clay Pot with Pine Coiling
I started this piece with the intention of it being just a clay pot. In making the pot, I used coils of clay and went round and up. Half way up, I rolled out four balls and flattened them out and then scored and slipped them to the coils. I coiled around the circles giving the pot itself a “Starry Night” effect. When I was through with the pot, Mr. Hewett suggested that he teach me a old technique called pine coiling, so I could pine coil on the top of the pot. I had to make the pine coiling the same size or bigger than the pot itself in order for it to be considered a fiber piece in an art show. I ended this piece with twists.

Pine Coiled Basket
Pine Coiled Basket
With this pine coiled piece, I started from the agate up which was an egg shape. Also, at the top of this basket, I ended with twists. It’s a little harder to do twists than just regular coils because the twists need to be a little smaller so you can weave one through the other. After I finished this piece, I shaped it, so it would look more level, then I shellacked it.

What I Think
In my opinion pine coiling is very relaxing. It clears my mind. I would recommend pine coiling to anyone who wants a new hobby or to anyone that just wants to try it. Pine coiling is a very useful technique that should be taught in school. The only thing I dislike about the pine coiling is getting the needles ready, you have to boil them and them scrape the heads off, that part is really messy.

Summer Williamson

Pine Needle Group Logo, created by Carol Antrim