Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

Paper Making and Sculptural Work

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  Using the treasures of natural plant materials, handmade papers, and perhaps recycled personal artifacts, students create interesting sculptural forms, and/or baskets, each piece with it's own story to tell.  Please click the link in the side bar for more information about this upcoming class at North Cascades Institute. … [Read more...]

Small Cedar Baskets

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Students learn to make small bark baskets using the inner bark of the Western Red Cedar, a tree highly valued by First Peoples cultures of the Pacific Northwest.     Learn why the Western Red Cedar has been referred to as "Long-Life-Maker' by the First Peoples of the Pacific Northwest as you experience the process of … [Read more...]

About Melinda

Thirty 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. The experience of weaving with the materials at hand while being together with my sons on a beautiful Pacific Northwest shoreline, kindled a passion for creating art from natural plant materials. 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