Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

Growing, gathering, and weaving with plant fibers from the Pacific Northwest

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Art in The Woods Studio Tour – Nov 13, 14, 15, 2026

September 18, 2026 By Melinda

Greetings. I hope this note finds you well. Perhaps, like me, you are in the midst of Huckleberry picking, and daily harvests of garden vegetables, and fruits, like the ripening Asian pears. Here, the Osprey are perching on the broken tips of dying Madrones on our bluff, emboldened since the Eagles that nest nearby have left, gone to their favorite estuary to feast on the returning Coho Salmon.

It’s time to shift gears as the sun lowers in its path across the day. It’s time to prepare for the Art in the Woods Studio Tour. Time for me to go into my studio and let the experiences of this past year become the inspiration and motivation for new creative work. I hope you will save the dates and come visit Sydney Sterling and I in her lovely studio in Indianola which is number 2 on the map. Map to All the Studios: https://www.cafnw.org/aitw-map

Here is a link with information about the many wonderful artists involved. Artists:  https://www.cafnw.org/aitw-artist

Art in the Woods Studio Tour 2026

We hope you’ll come for a visit and peruse our new work.

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About Melinda

Forty years ago, while sitting on the beach playing with my young children, I made my first basket out of a pile of willow trimmings someone had tossed there. It looked wildly made like a crazy bird’s nest. While being together with my two sons on a beautiful Pacific Northwest shoreline, this simple experience of crafting with the natural materials at hand kindled a passion for creating forms using plant fibers. I thank my family, my community, and all my teachers for cultivating this gift in me.
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Melinda West and basket, Indianola WA

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