Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

Cedars Become Teachers

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I want to thank Leslie Newman and Tim Celeski for sharing three young Western Red Cedar trees with me so I can share the wonderful attributes of this tree tomorrow with some extra special students at Bainbridge Artisans Resource Networks' interim space, in Rolling Bay Washington.  I especially want to thank my sweetheart and right-hand man, Paul … [Read more...]

Weaving Summer

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If summer could be woven into a basket, this past Saturday's "Wild Twined Herb and Flower Basket" class at the Rolling BARN is it! The Rolling BARN is the interim location for the Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network, or BARN, http://bainbridgebarn.org We had a creative day in a really nice space that the volunteer members of BARN have been … [Read more...]

Artistic Cedar Weavers at North Cascades Institute

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This summer I had the privilege of spending four days on Lake Diablo, in the North Cascade Mountains of Washington State.  But I certainly wasn’t roughing it.  I got to stay in a beautiful lodge, and eat wonderful, fresh, organic food, artfully prepared.  The best part of my experience was being able to share time with the amazing group of students … [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