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
  • Blog
  • Contact

Weaving Nature Workshop Fall 2022 at BARN

April 13, 2022 By Melinda

Harvest Basket

Hello - Are you still there? My blogs have been sparse these past several years. My explanation is simple. The late Upper Skagit Elder, Vi Hilbert, many times said that her elders told her: “If you’re talking, you’re not listening!” Let’s just say I’ve been doing my best to be listening, and reading, and listening, and reflecting, and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, My Teachers, News, Upcoming, Weaving Nature, Workshops Tagged With: Appalachian Egg Basket, Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network, BARN, BARN workshops, branch work, gathering, Skagit elder Vi Hilbert, Weaving From The Wild, Weaving Nature

A Space to Work and Meet

January 24, 2021 By Melinda

This has been a year hasn’t it? Fear of losing family and friends to a virus that is transmitted unwittingly by those with no symptoms. Uncertainty. Misinformation. No work, or work from home. No school, or school from home. A daily bombardment from those in leadership who behave the opposite of how we hope to raise our children to behave. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, News, Upcoming Tagged With: branch work, Paper making, students, studio, West Woods Working

Spring is Coming?

February 28, 2011 By Melinda

For three weeks now, the Autumnalis cherry has been blooming, in spite of freezing temperatures and dustings of snow.  With only a few degrees of encouragement, the delicate rose and white helibores that lay prostrate just days ago, are today happily standing up again.  The 'Christmas Cheer' rhododendron in our hedgerow has been in full blossum … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Plants and Places Tagged With: Anna's hummingbird, branch work, early spring, farmer, Harvest Baskets, Japanese anemone, Laura Llewellyn, ribbed basketry, temperate climate, weaving, winter

Search the site

Subscribe

Blog Categories

Connect with Melinda

  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Recent Posts

  • Porch Papermaking With Food Plants – Cardoon and Kale
  • Paper from the Ditch – Weathered Reed Canary Grass
  • Late Winter Papermaking – Mixing Siberian Iris Leaves and Lichens
  • More Spring Porch Papermaking – With Ivy Leaves
  • Here’s What’s Cooking – Porch Paper Making

Popular Blog Topics

art Art in the Woods Studio Tour Artistic Weaving With Western Red Cedar Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network BARN BARN workshops cedar bark Cedar From Tree To Pouch Clam Basket A Story By Ed Carriere class community creative Cultural Arts Foundation NW design early spring Ed Carriere English ivy Fall First Peoples grasses inner cedar bark IslandWood ivy Katie Jennings leaves new work North Cascades Institute NW sweetgrass Pacific Northwest papermaking Paper making Small Plant Fiber Projects spring students summer Suquamish Sydni Sterling Sydni Sterling Studio teaching weaving Weaving With Western Red Cedar Western red cedar winter workshop

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

Copyright © 2025 Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry | Indianola | Washington | USA

Site by LND