Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

  • About
    • Art Resume
    • Artist Statement – Land Acknowledgement
    • Teaching, Exhibits, Projects
  • Galleries
    • Functional Ribbed Work
    • Wall Pieces
    • Woven and Folded Bark
    • Sculptural Blends
    • Community
  • Workshops
  • Weaving Knowledge
    • Workshops
    • My Teachers
    • Resources
  • Blog
  • Contact

Art in the Woods Studio Tour 2024

November 2, 2024 By Melinda

Art In the Woods Studio Tour

It is wonderful to be back in Sydni Sterling’s light-filled studio once again for the 2024 Art in the Woods Studio Tour. 2019 was the last time I participated, but I’ve been making new art all along, as well as changing and altering pieces I started long ago. I’m grateful to all my teachers, to my family, and to this exceptional community for supporting and encouraging artists.

Art is a language. It is a vehicle for expression of feelings. It is a way to learn about our world. It can help mark time. It can transport you to another place. It can help you see what someone else sees. It can be a celebration. It can be a commentary. It can be a prayer.

Prayers, by Melinda West, Beaver Marked Wood, Wisteria, vintage screws, linen

 

Big Leaf Maple Bark Vase with Skirt, by Melinda West, Wisteria, Sweet Grass Cordage and Skirt, Stone, Mixed Grass Paper

 

Cedar Scroll on Hazel, by Melinda West, Wasp Nest and handmade cedar bark paper, Inner Cedar Bark and Wood, Hazel limb, Stone
Detail of Cedar Scroll, by Melinda West

 

Cedar Scroll on Lacey Plum Limb, by Melinda West, Handmade Cedar Bark Paper, Cedar inner bark and wood, Plum limb, Stone

 

Directions, by Melinda West, Magnolia Leaves, Mulberry Paper, Iris Leaf Cordage

 

Leaf Wreath, by Melinda West, Magnolia Leaves, Mulberry Paper, Pealed Spring Cedar Limbs, Linen
Leaf Wreath, by Melinda West, Witch Hazel Leaves, Lichen, Mulberry Paper, Plum Limb

 

Three Pods, by Melinda West, Cedar Bark, Driftwood, Hazel Limbs, Lichen, Iris Pods
Two Fig Bark Scrolls, by Melinda West, Fig Bark, Wasp and Mixed Grass Papers, Driftwood, Stones

Filed Under: Artwork, Community, My Teachers, News, Plants and Places, Upcoming Tagged With: Art in the Woods, Art in the Woods 2024, Art in the Woods Studio Tour, artistic cedar weaving, exhibits of new work, Indianola Country Store, Sydni Sterling, Sydni Sterling painter, Sydni Sterling Studio

Search the site

Subscribe

Blog Categories

Connect with Melinda

  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Recent Posts

  • Ernestine Hayes – “Here We Are Together – Our Only Future Is a Future Together. As Humans.”
  • Healing Words – Human Values
  • Greetings – It’s 2026!
  • The Community Completes the Artist
  • Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026 – Weaving Nature

Popular Blog Topics

art Art in the Woods Studio Tour Artistic Weaving With Western Red Cedar Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network BARN BARN workshops cedar bark Cedar From Tree To Pouch Clam Basket A Story By Ed Carriere class community creative Cultural Arts Foundation NW design early spring Ed Carriere English ivy Fall First Peoples grasses inner cedar bark IslandWood ivy Katie Jennings new work North Cascades Institute NW sweetgrass Pacific Northwest papermaking Paper making Small Plant Fiber Projects spring students summer Suquamish Sydni Sterling Sydni Sterling painter Sydni Sterling Studio teaching weaving Weaving With Western Red Cedar Western red cedar winter workshop

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.
Read More
Melinda West and basket, Indianola WA

Copyright © 2026 Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry | Indianola | Washington | USA

Site by LND