Ellen Phillips picked up her first reed at a St. Charles Park District class in 1984 — and hasn't put it down since. 

Forty years later, she's a Fine Line Creative Arts Center faculty fixture, a key part of the Tri-Cities arts community, and proof that a neighbor's casual invite can change the entire direction of a creative life.

When she was pregnant with her third child in 1984, Phillips knew she wanted some time for herself. 

She was already a basket lover, having bought her first basket in 1976 on a trip to Williamsburg. So when her next-door neighbor was teaching a basket-weaving class through the St. Charles Park District, she decided to sign up. 

Phillips finished the basket before her child was born — and in the process, fell in love with the art of basket-weaving.

Despite being busy with three little ones, she knew she needed to make more baskets. Her biggest challenge, at first, turned out to be sourcing materials. 

Her family had moved to St. Charles in 1982 from her hometown of Springfield, Ohio, which was home to the Bryant Basket Company. Unfortunately, she reached out only to discover that they’d sold the basket portion of the business. 

She managed to get in touch with the new owner, who sent a booklet with three patterns and enough materials to make them. Phillips got to work and made the baskets. 

“It changed my life,” she said. “I called a friend right away and told her she had to let me show her. One thing led to another, and I’ve been weaving and teaching for the last 40 years.”

Teaching classes out of neighbors' homes led Phillips to Judy Schultz, a founding member of Craftworks — a collective of 25-30 artists who put on shows each fall. Joining the group expanded her world considerably, and she still keeps up with members today.

One of them, Maxine Prange, brought her to Fine Line Creative Arts Center before it even officially opened. Phillips took founder Denise Kavanagh's weaving class there, impressing Kavanagh enough to get asked to join the faculty in the late '80s.

Although Phillips had never taught anything before, Kavanagh trusted her artistry and just let her be herself. She discovered that she loved teaching — and still gets an enormous amount of pleasure in seeing her students’ success. 

“They come in and don’t think they can do this and don’t think they can do that, and lo and behold, they walk out of the classroom with a finished piece,” she said. “That gives me great satisfaction.” 

It wasn’t all sunshine, roses, and beautiful baskets. Phillips cites three main challenges. The first two are predictable: time and money. Family, teaching, and other commitments take up much of her time, and she works to leave time for her own basket-weaving. 

For her own work, she uses basket reed: the processed, fibrous inner core of the rattan plant. It’s sometimes referenced as rattan core, pulp cane, or simply cane. It comes in various shapes, including round, flat, and flat-oval, and must be soaked to become flexible for weaving. 

While never exactly inexpensive, she said the price has ballooned over the years from $4.10 a pound to about $20, jumping about $5 recently because of tariffs.

Phillips also used to struggle with self-doubt and imposter syndrome. Taking other classes helped her gain confidence, which was bolstered by going to basket camp with a group of her students.

Phillips has always believed in community service, and her background working with people with intellectual disabilities in Ohio gave her a natural starting point when she landed in St. Charles.

She eventually connected with The Joshua Tree Community, a nonprofit day program for young adults with intellectual disabilities, and began showing up every Thursday. Fine Line's leadership agreed the organization would be a great fit, and the two have collaborated on a monthly gathering ever since.

“I’ve seen such changes in those learners – they’ve gone from fearfulness to ‘bring it on!’” Phillips said.

People can see and buy her work at the Dempsey Gallery at Fine Line Creative Arts Center in St. Charles. She also accepts commissions. 

Her advice to other artists: “Be free yourself. Keep going. Keep looking for opportunities. Don’t give up. If it’s something that really, really speaks to you and you are really satisfied by it, keep going. Let your light shine.”

This piece was written by Ellen Jo Ljung, a longtime Geneva resident, author, award-winning educator, and glass artist. Visit her website to learn more.

Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] with questions or comments.

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