Patricia Montoya Donohue

About the Artist

“Every child is an artist; it’s up to the adult to remain one.” -Pablo Picasso

"My earliest recollection of weaving came in elementary school. Before any holiday celebrations, we were given strips of colored paper to weave individual table placements. For me, it wasn’t so much the big party that excited me, but being able to go through the process of choosing the right paper and seeing the magic of something come together with my hands. 

"Those early memories are what continue to inspire me to create and share my love of weaving with people of all ages.

"In my work, you’ll see a great emphasis on the use of natural materials gathered and harvested in Oregon. In my garden you’ll find honeysuckle, banana, NW sweetgrass, akebia and a variety of willows specifically to use in the creation of my baskets, sculptures and assemblages. I gather western red cedar and roots in the traditional ways of the indigenous NW Basket makers. In addition to gathering the raw materials used in my work, I also hand dye my gathered materials.

"Besides selling my work at The New Zone and Saturday Market, you can find many of my baskets in personal collections, galleries and at the UO Museum of Natural History. Using tradition with a bit of a twist, I often vary techniques, which I have learned from other cultures. Most people are often surprised to find that baskets are not done by a machine, but instead by human hand. The best part for me when doing a show, or exhibit, is sharing my love of basketry, not just by selling my baskets but demonstrating and sharing my knowledge to others."

- Patricia Montoya Donohue

Medium: Mixed media

Email: pndonohue@gmail.com
Phone: 541.686.6117
Address: P.O. Box 11802, Eugene, Oregon 97440