Theo Morrison Artist's Statement to her collectors. . .
Most of my baskets are woven with the twining technique using a variety of materials, many of which are gathered on Maui. Often, after the shape is complete, I stitch different fibers over the surface. I developed this method myself over the course of several years.

I have an extensive background in ceramics and utilize a basketry
process similar to working in clay. In the beginning, all my attention
is devoted to the shape of the basket (working with wet clay). Once the
shape is complete, all my attention goes into the surface decoration
(glazing the bisqued clay). Often, I put the whole basket into a cold
water fiber reactive dye bath (firing the clay). Due to the variety of natural fibers, the dye is picked up in a very subtle shades and
intensities over which I have minimal control (similar to putting a pot into a kiln).

The fibers I stitch on the baskets often include tapa (both painted
and unpainted). The tapa is handmade in Tonga. The rust colored leaf I use is philodendron (actually it is the sheaf that covers the new leaf). Other materials include fish tail palm, sea grass, protea leaf, banana blossom (dark - almost black color), and coconut fiber (brown, woven looking). Fibers are stitched on with waxed linen. With the exception of the tapa cloth, I gather all the fibers here on Maui.