The Pollinator Garden Fence at IslandWood, by Melinda West As a plant fiber artist inspired by nature, learning the life stories of important native Pacific Northwest pollinators has been one of the most delightful aspects of making this fence, and is one example of how art and science are interwoven. This fence defines a border for ‘a garden … [Read more...]
Coiled Cordage Pendant
Learning to make cordage from the leaves and grasses at hand is fun for every age. Discovering a bit of ancient knowledge about how to appreciate and utilize the plants around us, transforms us into makers of make beautiful and useful objects. Here are some pictures of young people making coiled cordage pendants, but this workshop is fun for all … [Read more...]
The Faering is Launched
In 2009-2010 our eldest son, Spencer West, had the privilege of working with a team of excellent wood carvers who were gathered at Duane and Betty Pasco's to carve the Raven Canoe. This canoe was being created for a Canoe family to be paddled on the Canoe Journey to Neah Bay. The first of these canoe journeys, in recent times, was held in 1989 at … [Read more...]