Martha Denham
This page features artwork done by Martha Denham
About Martha Denham
As a child in Northeastern Oregon’s Blue Mountains, I was constantly surrounded by Ponderosa Pines with their lengthy needles carpeting the ground. Curious about how to use such a plentiful resource, I eventually discovered pine needle basketry. This traditional craft involves sewing coiled bundles of pine needles, long grass, or reeds into containers of different forms and sizes. Over time, I’ve seen coiled baskets made by Northwest Native peoples, settlers from the Eastern United States, and even ancient Asian cultures. While the materials changed from place to place, the basic technique basically remains the same. I began practicing this art 45 years ago, mastering classic pine needle basketry before gradually developing my own style within the tradition.
My artwork features vibrant threads, beads, wood, sticks, shells, and stones woven together to form blooming flowers, ripe pears, temple treasures, or the color of the sky. Recently, I’ve started blending weaving with mixed media like metal, wood, and sculpted or painted materials. Using wire and raffia, I craft three dimensional flowers, fruits, starfish, and shells that give each piece its own unique character. Original cast figures—monkeys, mice, dogs, and other playful shapes add touches of whimsy. I also paint exotic patterns, plant roots, flowers, and even water lilies floating on a pond.
Working as a civil engineer changed my view of vessel design. Traditional coil construction is uniform, but by using materials like wood, wire mesh, fiber, and sculpting medium, I transformed the round shape into a flat wall for a stem flower. Varying coil widths and sewing sections created an asymmetrical tide pool for a 3D starfish, while twisted coils represented ocean waves or roots and vines.
By weaving three-dimensional flowers, leaves, and fruit with Teneriffe techniques, I create lively forms beyond traditional methods. My stitching is driven by imagination without limits, making every piece one-of-a-kind and often requiring hundreds of hours to complete.