Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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IslandWood Artist Residency Spring 2018 – Blog Catching Up

June 5, 2019 By Melinda

Students plant young Cedar Trees

I’ve never gotten to teach with a baby on board, but having 7 week old Verite with us for some of our teaching time added to the experience of sharing sharing skills in a more traditional way - as a family. Verie’s mom, Kah-Ty-Ah Lawrence Moran, was team-teaching with me for the two weeks of my IslandWood Artist Residency in May of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, News, Students, Weaving Nature Tagged With: Cedar Mat Necklace Pouch, IslandWood, IslandWood Artist in Residence, Suquamish

One Year Ago – Catching Up – IslandWood Artist Residency

May 31, 2019 By Melinda

Greetings! I’ve been working this year, but I haven’t kept up with my blog entries about the wonderful students I’ve been fortunate to meet and interesting work I’ve had the pleasure of doing this past circle of seasons.  So here is a little pictorial of last May at IslandWood, during my 16th Artist Residency there. I spend two weeks each year … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, News, Students, Upcoming, Weaving with Cedar, Workshops Tagged With: Barbara Lawrence, cedar bark, Cedar life cycle, IslandWood Artist in Residence, Kah-Ty-Ah Lawrence Moran, lessons of cedar tree

Peeta Tinay Teaches The Art of Twining With Reed At BARN

March 18, 2019 By Melinda

Peeta Tinay Teaches at BARN

After the snow has melted, the bulbs are up, Daphne is bloomed and even Trillium dare to expose themselves, it was time to gather for a workshop at BARN, (Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network), with Peeta Tinay. Students came from as far as north as the Gulf Islands in Canada and as far south as Astoria to spend two days learning multiple … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Artwork, Community, News, Students, Workshops Tagged With: Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network, BARN, BARN workshops, Peeta Tinay, The Art of Twining With Reed, Wickerwork

Adirondack-Style Pack Basket with Karen Sherwood

July 16, 2018 By Melinda

Karen Sherwood Pack Basket Class

Wow. That is a nice backpack. Well, let’s back up a little bit. Would you believe this is one of the finished products of a first time basket weaver? In just two days our instructor, Karen Sherwood, of Earthwalk Northwest, guided students through the fundamentals of splint-woven basketry construction, as we learned how hard it really is to control … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, News, Students, Workshops Tagged With: Adirondack Style Pack Basket, Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network, BARN, BARN workshops, Earthwalk Northwest, Karen Sherwood

Karen Sherwood at BARN-Birch Bark Knife Sheath

July 16, 2018 By Melinda

Birch Bark Knife Sheaths

It was a delight for me to be part of Karen Sherwood’s Birch Bark Knife Sheath making workshop at the Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network. Karen brought in Swedish Carving knives for every student, and provided beautiful materials which she had carefully chosen so we could all be successful. Karen demonstrated how the birch bark can … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, News, Students, Workshops Tagged With: Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network, BARN, BARN workshops, Birch Bark Knife Sheath, Earthwalk NW, Karen Sherwood

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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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Melinda West and basket, Indianola WA

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