Tim has been making baskets for over twenty-five years, initially in his spare time but since retrial on a more full-time basis. A lifetime of working and creating with his hands has left him with a low-tech approach to life, a philosophy that finds a perfect home in the sustainable ideologies of working in willow. With the inspiration from having been taught by many people, including Graham Glanville, Lise Bech, Joe Hogan, Eva Seidenfaden, Ane Lyngsgaard, Steen Madsen, Owen Jones and Mary Butcher, his own work focuses on traditional styles and methods. In recent years he has become interested in regional techniques and traditions, recreating several historical baskets relating to the fishing and aviation industries. He also uses the potential of the core basketmaking techniques and materials in more expressive work. Interested also in ceramics, inspiration is drawn from Hans Coper, and he has collaborated with Portsoy ceramic artist Kerstin Gren, with whom he exhibited in 2011 as part of a willow and ceramics exhibition, Fire and Fibre, at the Collins Gallery in Glasgow.

Exhibitions include a solo show at art.tm in Inverness in 2005, involvement in the Country Living Fair in 2005 and 2006 at the Scottish Basket Circle's stand, joint exhibitions between the Scottish Potters Association and the Scottish Basketmakers Cirde in 2010 at the Bield Gallery in Tibbermore and the Collins Gallery, University of Strathclyde in 2012. He was invited to submit work for the COAST festival exhibitions in Banff in 2012 and 2013, to the SBC exhibitions at the Barony Centre in West Kilbride in 2015 and Inchmore Gallery, Inverness in 2016. He regularly demonstrates at the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival at Portsoy, and at the Fordyce Village Open Day.

Since retiring, he has become involved in research projects on basketmaking as therapy and rehabilitation, with particular reference to World War 1, and the Woven Communities project looking at basketmaking in Scottish communities. He is presently working with the stroke and head-injury unit at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.


Tim has a passion for teaching, relishing the challenge of finding the best way of helping students grasp the patterns involved in basketmaking. He has taught widely around the Highlands, catering from first time makers to those wishing to learn more advanced techniques. Courses can be mixed ability and technique; two day courses are preferred to allow scope for reinforcement of the techniques, though one day courses with more focused objectives are perfectly possible. He will teach up to eight people.

To arrange a course or enquire about commissioning a basket, please contact him at tim@dunmacbeth.scotnet.co.uk or on 01463 23852.