Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

Mathewson and West’s Woven Wearables Workshop at BARN

By

When we share our art making with others, magic happens! We are grateful for the wonderful students that turned out for the Woven Wearables workshop this October at the Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network (BARN). Some of you came from as far as Oregon and Alaska. Others traveled less physical distance, but you all had in common that you made … [Read more...]

Mathewson and West’s October Workshop At Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network

By

Are you like me, one who sees the beauty in Nature’s ephemera? Are you a person who enjoys collecting found treasures thinking: “Someday, I’m going to make a nice gift for someone out of this Pussy Willow”? Or, “Wouldn’t this seed-pod look interesting if I incorporate it into an art piece?” Or, “What in the world am I going to do with all these … [Read more...]

Audrey Armstrong Teaches at BARN – Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network

By

One month ago I had the pleasure of meeting Audrey and Scott Armstrong. They arrived at SeaTac Airport, flying in from Anchorage Alaska. There they met Audrey’s daughter Alicia, and son-in-law Kai, who had also just landed after flying in from North Carolina. The family had not had an opportunity to be together physically since pre-covid times. … [Read more...]

Fish Skin Preparation into a Material For Craft

By

In 2018, Karen Magnuson-Sherwood, being the kind and generous teacher she is, traveled to Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network (BARN) on Bainbridge Island, to teach a class demonstrating use of preserved fish skins woven into a lovely cedar basket.   In October 2023, what a delight that Audrey Armstrong agreed to come all the way … [Read more...]

Hazelnut In Spring

By

I was invited to teach a Ribbed Basket Workshop this September at the Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network, or BARN. This is giving me the opportunity to slow down a minute and extrapolate some of the things I know about working with plants. Sometimes I take for granted what I’ve learned, because it’s what I do everyday, and it isn’t any more … [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.
Read More
Melinda West and basket, Indianola WA