August 2020 3D Featured Artists Charles Fernandez and Christine Dekkers

Christine Dekkers and Charles Fernandez have put a new twist on their unique creations. The Art of baskets from the use of palm trees has been carbon dated to between 10,000 and 12,000 years, earlier than any established dates for archaeological finds of pottery and were discovered in Faiyum in upper Egypt. In contrast to that work, Dekkers and Fernandez started using the palm sheaths, instead of the palm fronds, to weave. 

"The palm sheaths are chosen when they are fully dried and fallen from the local palm trees here in Cape Coral,” said Dekkers. “You know exactly what the final color pallet will be when they are dried and can choose among the  rich reds and burgundies of the Erica Palms, chestnut browns from the Foxtail Palms, dark and multiple colored browns and tans from the Christmas Tree Palms and luscious creams with the Royal Palm. As we design our baskets and vessels we use multiple palm sheaths to create contrasting colors and shapes for decorative adornment. The structure of the grain from the palm sheaths also play a role in the design as it is re-dried.”

 “What I love about this form of art, is it’s never the same,” added Fernandez. “Each palm has a signature just like a fingerprint unique to the way that sheath grew, how dry or wet the rain was at the time of its growth. If the strong winds take it down prematurely it will have to dry longer.