Shirley Given Pine needle & Gourd Basketry Artist Shirley was inspired by her grandmother's pine needle sewing basket. It intrigued her as to how one could take something as humble as a pine needle and create such exquisite beauty. Her grandmother's sewing basket was quite old and the raffia used to construct the basket had deteriorated. Shirley wished to repair the basket but had no idea how to begin. While at an art show, one spring day, she noticed a vendor creating pine needle baskets. She asked the vendor if she would be so kind as to show her how to repair her grandmother's basket. The vendor helped her repair her grandmother's basket and spent another 3 hours giving her a basic lesson in pine needle basketry. From there, Shirley was self-taught and found pine needle and gourd basketry to be an intriguing art form that brought her both pleasure and a sense of accomplishment. You may ask "is Shirley a Native American?" which is a question often times asked, in regards to pine needle basketry. Her deceased father insisted there was Native American blood flowing through the family veins. No proof was ever established and Shirley does not lay claim to the proclamation. Shirley is, however, an American and was born and raised in Colorado before moving to California. She now resides in Tehachapi, CA with her husband Arnold, her dog Phoebe and her cat, Ben.