For over ten years I have worked as an independent artist. I started my art career as a commercial photographer, then began a business making functional handmade baskets, and now I work in fine arts. I create in two mediums: textiles and watercolor. I find harmony between the two practices: I often have to wait for an area of watercolor to dry so during that time I piece together cloth made of fabric scraps. The scale of my work continues to grow over time. I started making small curtains and am now working on large-scale installation pieces.

I find it most interesting to use materials that someone else has deemed trash. I collect fabric scraps from various sources to make curtains, and with summer coming I will be combing the beach for new matter to work with. A consistent theme in my artwork over the past decade is waste reduction. What can I personally use and prevent from ending up in a landfill and will I be able to inspire others to reduce their impact as well?

I live and work in Rockaway Beach, New York.

I founded Closed Mondays in 2017. It’s the best full-time job I’ve ever had! I make handmade baskets and sell prints of my paintings.

I can be found on Instagram: @bekkapalmer

I can be reached at hello@bekkapalmer.com

A short video by Brian Chu showing my basket-making process.