Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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Art on the Trail – Messages From the Land Exhibit – Oct 1 to Nov 1, 2010

September 6, 2010 By Melinda

Once autumn slips its toe in the door the days quickly shorten. On the beautiful, crisp and clear fall days, there is still gathering to do. I’ve yet to collect cattail leaves and the stems of nettle and fireweed. The sweetgrass I grow at home, was gathered weeks ago, and is now dry. Rainy days like today, give me pause to review the summer and to think ahead.

What does Your Eye See?

This past July, along with nine other artists, I enjoyed interacting with the public on a trail in a beautiful park on Bainbridge Island. In a partnership between Bainbridge Arts and Crafts and the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, the ten artists participating that day will also contribute work for an exhibition this October, where 100 % of the proceeds will be donated to benefit the work of both organizations.

The Artists’ Reception and Exhibition opening is Friday, October 1, 2010, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Please come if you can. For more info: www.bacart.org.

 I created the following two pieces for the Messages from the Land exhibit.  It is an honor to have my work in an exhibit with nine other artists who so creatively express their relationship to the Puget Sound landscape.

 

Precarious, Madrona, Willow, Ivy, Hazelnut, (approx: 28″x 24″x 22″)

 

Nest #2, Willow, Ivy, Hazelnut, Handmande Cedar Bark Paper, (approx: 22″x 27″x 9″)

 

A Hazelnut Branch “Eye”created for Art Along the Trail

 

 

These young weavers were very helpful!

Filed Under: Artwork, Community Tagged With: Art Along the Trail, Bainbridge Arts and Crafts, exhibit, fireweed, Messages From the Land, nettle, NW sweetgrass

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About Melinda

Thirty 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. The experience of weaving with the materials at hand while being together with my sons on a beautiful Pacific Northwest shoreline, kindled a passion for creating art from natural plant materials. I thank my family, my community, and all my teachers for cultivating this gift in me.
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