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
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Gallery: Community

  • Fencing for Periscope
    Fencing for Periscope
  • Periscope Woodcraft
    Periscope Woodcraft
  • Periscope Woodcraft
    Periscope Woodcraft
  • Periscope Woodcraft
    Periscope Woodcraft
  • IslandWood 5-2018 AIR wk 1
    IslandWood 5-2018 AIR wk 1
  • Students plant young Cedar Trees
    Students plant young Cedar Trees
    Students plant young Cedar Trees
  • IslandWood 2018
  • IslandWood 2018-Team Teaching with 3 generations
  • IslandWood Artist Residency 5-2018 wk 1
    IslandWood Artist Residency 5-2018 wk 1
  • Jess Henderson at IslandWood 2018 brings birthday tulips
  • IslandWood 2018 with Kah Ty Ah Lawrence-Moran
  • Kaya Barbara Lawrence with her Granddaughter Verite
  • Weaving Nature with Melinda West
    Weaving Nature with Melinda West
    Weaving Nature with Melinda West
  • Art in the Woods 2019
    Art in the Woods 2019
    Art in the Woods 2019
  • #4 Sterling Studio
    #4 Sterling Studio
    #4 Sterling Studio
  • Weaving Together at IslandWood 2019
  • Cattails gathered
  • Cattail Gathering
    Cattail Gathering
  • 2011 NCI Workshop
    Artistic Weaving With Western Red Cedar, North Cascades Institute 2011
  • April 2012, Options Program
    Gordon Elementary Options Program students, Clam Shell Rattle Necklace, ages 3 to 13 years old.
  • Suquamish Basket Marsh, 6-10-11
    Students explore at the Suquamish Basket Marsh, 6-2011.
  • Cedar Necklaces
    Woven Cedar Mat Pouch Necklaces by Suquamish Elementary second graders, 6-2011.
  • Eaton Montessori School
    Woven bird house project with 2nd and 3rd graders in Gayle Holeton's class at Eton Montessori School, Bellevue, Washington, 2004.
  • Laura Llewelleyn
    Laura is an excellent young farmer, now working as Farm Manager at Red Dog Farm in Chimicum, Washington. Ribbed Basketry apprentice, 2009-2010
  • Salmon Weaving Display 2008
    Salmon Weaving Display 2008
  • Gathering Cattails at Suquamish Basket Marsh
  • Woven Cedar Mats at IslandWood 2003
    Woven Cedar Mats at IslandWood 2003
  • The late Upper Skagit Elder and Cultural Teacher Vi Hilbert
    The late Upper Skagit Elder and Cultural Teacher Vi Hilbert
  • Detail of Joe Koivu and Melinda West Screen, Poulsbo, WA
    Detail of Joe Koivu and Melinda West Screen, Poulsbo, WA
  • Precarious by Melinda West
    This piece was created for the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, 2010
  • 19' x 6' screen, Joe Koivu and Melinda West
    19' x 6' screen, Joe Koivu and Melinda West
    6' tall metal leaves by Joe Koivu with woven red osier dogwood and willow by Melinda West
  • Raku by Wendy Hampton, Weaving by Melinda West
    Raku by Wendy Hampton, Weaving by Melinda West
  • Raku by Wendy Hampton, Weaving by Melinda West
    Raku by Wendy Hampton, Weaving by Melinda West
  • Finishing touches on Suquamish Basket Marsh Arbor 2002
    Finishing touches on Suquamish Basket Marsh Arbor 2002
  • Ducks at the Suquamish Basket Marsh
    Ducks at the Suquamish Basket Marsh
  • Building a Welcome Arbor at the Suquamish Basket Marsh 2002
    Building a Welcome Arbor at the Suquamish Basket Marsh 2002
  • 6-10-11 Suquamish Elementary Basket Marsh
    6-10-11 Suquamish Elementary Basket Marsh
  • Queen Anne Tree Walk Exhibit with art by Green Lake Elementary
    Queen Anne Tree Walk Exhibit with art by Green Lake Elementary
  • The Poetry of Plants, Queen Anne Tree Walk, 2004
    The Poetry of Plants, Queen Anne Tree Walk, 2004
  • Lahalla Weaver Charles Hua, Park Ranger, Hawaii
    Lahalla Weaver Charles Hua, Park Ranger, Hawaii
  • Exhibit of Student's work at IslandWood
    Exhibit of Student's work at IslandWood
  • Suquamish Master Weaver Ed Carriere
    Suquamish Master Weaver Ed Carriere
  • Melinda at IslandWood, 2011
    Melinda at IslandWood, 2011
  • Artistic Cedar Weaving 8-11 at NCI
    Students' and teachers work created in this 2011 Artist Cedar Weaving class at North Cascades Institute.
  • Movie Production Team - Clam Basket - 2011
    Movie Production Team - Clam Basket - 2011
    Katie Jennings, Joanne Ardinger, Kevin Michael Martin
  • The Rain Ball in action at the
    The Rain Ball in action at the "Queen Anne Tree Walk", Seattle, 2005
  • A grandson who is an origami wizard
  • Innovators at the Seattle Art Museum Salmon Return Festival 2013
  • A Willow Class I took taught by Katherine Lewis
  • My grandaughter made a Lei Po'o of ferns and flowers

For more information please contact Melinda.

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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