Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

Carrying On Traditional Knowledge Through Weaving With Plants

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I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be together with a community of learners at IslandWood. For seventeen years the dedicated people at IslandWood have welcomed and supported my teaching/artist work, helping me learn to share my passion for making art with plant fibers. Anytime in life is the right time to learn new skills, or hone the skills we … [Read more...]

Ed Carriere’s Fish Net Anchor Artifact Workshop at BARN

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Suquamish Master Weaver Ed Carriere and I really enjoyed being able to share a fun project with wonderful creative students at Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network, or BARN, this past May 5, 2018. Fish net anchors have been made and used by Coast Salish Peoples since they began fishing the waters of the Salish Sea from six to ten thousand … [Read more...]

June 10 & 11, 2017, Cedar From Tree To Pouch

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Pacific Northwest landscapes are home to a wealth of native and introduced plants known to have rich histories of fiber use by the First Peoples of the region.  “Long Life Maker”, is just one of many names the Western Red Cedar tree has been called by the Salish Peoples.  Students will learn why, as they are introduced to a multitude of uses … [Read more...]

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