Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

More Pictures From NCI Art Retreat

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I am a hunter-gatherer of plant materials and I use them for specific fiber technologies.  Because of the rarity of some materials, the time put into the gathering of others, and the painstaking preparation of most of the materials once gathered, I have developed the habit of saving my scraps.  When I met Sue Smith in the late 1980's early 1990's, … [Read more...]

North Cascades Institute 2012

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http://ncascades.org/signup/programs/weaving-an-artistic-basket Fall is in the air, but it isn't too late to treat yourself to the North Cascades Institute Artist Retreat. Four days of focused creative time surrounded by the North Cascade Mountains as you sit at the edge of Lake Diablo, is an experience that can give inspiration to last you … [Read more...]

NCI Students Begin Their Projects

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The following images were taken by Julie Toomey.  Thanks for sharing these Julie! Many students came with their own project ideas.  It was amazing to see how these ideas became transformed into objects.  Don is making a wall sconce for a light fixture at home. Mary wants to make a special open basket, for holding her "angel cards" … [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