Weaving magic -What: “Masters of Bamboo: Japanese Baskets and Sculpture in the Cotsen Collection.” -Where: Asian Art Museum 200 Larkin St., S.F. (two blocks from Civic Center BART station) ...

Today, plastics are replacing bamboo in everyday life, and fewer than 100 artists struggle to make a living from the sale of masterpieces that can take months to make.

Artist Owen Mortensen transforms leaves, branches and flowers into unique organic art. He meticulously cuts away fragments of each leaf, revealing the delicate veining inside.