Linda Bills views natural events as forces for creativity. She collected the bark for the body of this basket from a tree in Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park that was knocked down by a strong thunderstorm. Dried Siberian iris leaves gathered from her garden, tied with unwaxed linen thread, create the basket’s collar. Bills wrapped the basket’s base and neck with peeled, dried grapevine to strengthen the structure. A long-time artist and former teacher at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, Bills encourages a sustainable approach to art-making by transforming local woods and fibers into functional and conceptual artworks.