Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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IslandWood Artist Residency Spring 2018 – Blog Catching Up

June 5, 2019 By Melinda

Students plant young Cedar Trees

I’ve never gotten to teach with a baby on board, but having 7 week old Verite with us for some of our teaching time added to the experience of sharing sharing skills in a more traditional way - as a family. Verie’s mom, Kah-Ty-Ah Lawrence Moran, was team-teaching with me for the two weeks of my IslandWood Artist Residency in May of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, News, Students, Weaving Nature Tagged With: Cedar Mat Necklace Pouch, IslandWood, IslandWood Artist in Residence, Suquamish

One Year Ago – Catching Up – IslandWood Artist Residency

May 31, 2019 By Melinda

Greetings! I’ve been working this year, but I haven’t kept up with my blog entries about the wonderful students I’ve been fortunate to meet and interesting work I’ve had the pleasure of doing this past circle of seasons.  So here is a little pictorial of last May at IslandWood, during my 16th Artist Residency there. I spend two weeks each year … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, News, Students, Upcoming, Weaving with Cedar, Workshops Tagged With: Barbara Lawrence, cedar bark, Cedar life cycle, IslandWood Artist in Residence, Kah-Ty-Ah Lawrence Moran, lessons of cedar tree

IslandWood Artist in Residence

March 25, 2015 By Melinda

  IslandWood is an environmental learning center located on Bainbridge Island. For most students it is a westward trip from Seattle across the water on a Washington State Ferry. One of the highlights of my year, aside from spending time with my own grandkids, is being able to share the passion I have for weaving with plant-fibers with … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Students, Weaving Nature, Workshops Tagged With: AIR, cedar bark mat wall hanging, cedar inner bark, Dearborn Park International School, Dunlap Elementary, IslandWood Artist in Residence, Small Plant Fiber Projects, students, weaving with cedar bark, Weaving With Western Red Cedar, Wellington Elementary, Western red cedar

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Recent Posts

  • Bare Bones Abstracts
  • A Space to Work and Meet
  • Cedar Bark – Useful and Beautiful
  • October 2020 London Craft Week at J&M Davidson
  • Land Acknowledgement 2020

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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

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