The past two weeks I have been creating wall baskets using Mississippi River driftwood. The river flows just a block from The Bent Tree Gallery, our physical rustic showroom in Clarksville, Missouri, just north of St. Louis. All summer the river has threatened to flood, and has in fact been up well into our Riverfront Park. I have been gathering interesting driftwood as I walk my Grandogs, and found time recently to incorporate some of the interesting and quirky pieces into wall baskets. Now mounted and for sale on a wall of the gallery, here they are!

1800 square feet of refined rustic comfort! If you are ever in our area, we would love to have you visit. We are located 43 miles north of I-70 on Hwy 79. This highway becomes The Great River Road at Clarksville, as it begins to travel along the Mississippi River going north. We are open Tuesday-Saturday from 10-5, and on Sundays from noon-5. Other shops in our town include photography, windsor chairs, jewelry, glass, pottery, fine craft/art co-op gallery, up-cycled and vintage clothing, a native American drum painter, as well as antique shops and an antique mall. We have restaurants, a golf course, a winery, Mississippi River Lock and Dam #24, lots of historic homes, and various B&Bs. PLUS...all the charm that accompanies a small eclectic river town.

Almost everyone who visits says this is an interesting place!

Our gallery is a new building, but it looks old. That's because the carpenters built it using blueprints from the building which was built on this spot in 1906. Clarksville's business district is on the National Historic Register, and we are blessed to be part of this artsy little community.

Our Brick-and-Mortar Gallery

Here is an image of part of The Bent Tree Gallery, our shop in Clarksville, Missouri. We carry rustic furniture and accents, baskets and fiber art, and one-of-a-kind leather handbags. All items are made by my husband, daughter, and me. We love what we do!

Thank you, rustic chair students!

Despite the extreme weather over the weekend (hot and humid, Sunday morning downpour), this class of students was a real blessing! Thank you for your great attitudes; it was a pleasure to work with all of you!

Our classes are available year round; contact us at our gallery for a schedule or more information. Our number is 573-242-3200. We keep our classes small. This enables a better teacher-student ratio, and also makes it easier to arrange a class.

Classes include chairs, loveseats (w/ chair prerequisite), basketmaking, felting, gourd embellishment, needlefelting, etc. In fact, if we can do it with skill, we are willing to teach it.

Maria, your chair looks so comfortable!