Janet Northern is a self-taught basket maker who utilizes the wood and natural vines that she finds in the region surrounding her Rockcastle County farm. The Eastern Kentucky woodlands give Janet inspiration as well as material from which to work.

Starting from a piece of wood, Janet begins to design her asymmetrical one-of-a-kind basket forms. She often weaves more than one basket to a branch, creating multiple forms.

To prepare the honeysuckle vines Janet strips off the outer bark to reveal the honey colored, pliable surface of the vine. When the vines are used green, or freshly cut, they are very pliable and require no soaking. Her smaller baskets are often made with reed and driftwood.

Janet teaches basket making workshops and is a lifetime member of the Kentucky Guild of Artists & Craftsmen.

Janet’s work can also be found at Berea’s Tourism Welcome Center, in Old Town, Berea, KY.