Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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Some Images of Winter Work

April 17, 2011 By Melinda

What is it?

It is Pacific Madrona bark.  My first chance to work with it was this summer after we had to cut down a beautiful old, but injured tree, that happened to be precariously leaning over our old house.  The only other sculptural basketry in Madrona I’d ever seen before was made by Canadian artist Joan Carrigan, who is my total inspiration here.  She mentioned that she was inspired by Dorothy Gill Barns, another, whose work I’ve always found intriguing and imaginative.
This picture above is taken in a Madrona Forest.   I would never want to cut a Madrona down unless it was absolutely necessary.   There is something almost “human” about these trees.  They lean into the prevailing winds and seem to dance as they grow.  They reach from one direction, then to another, as if they were spinning or twirling in delight. The bark is soft like skin on some parts of the tree, some is pealy, and some bark is hard and scaly.  And this is all on one tree!  If you’ve never had the chance to see the setting sun linger on the limey-green fleshy bark of a Madrona tree, with the crimson curls of bark back-lit….well, I hope someday you will…it could be considered one of the natural wonders of the world.
Madrona Bark with Stone
Iris Woven With Cedar Bark
How many more natural wonders are out there each day for us…when we take the time to look?
Art makes us look.

Filed Under: Artwork, Plants and Places Tagged With: cedar bark, curely willow, iris, madrona bark, new work, Pacific Madrona, wall pieces, winter

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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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