Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

Cedar and Iris Fan Is Done

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This fan is approximately 5' wide by 4.5' tall and 2" deep.  It is made out of my favorite ornamental plum branches, Siberian iris stalks, New Zealand flax, and inner bark of the Western red cedar.   I love the textures and smells of the materials while working.   When I conceived this, I thought I'd end up applying … [Read more...]

May Passes in a Flurry – A Blurry Month of Growth and Activity

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  Come to the page and rest, says Julia Cameron in her book “The Artist’s Way”. I have desired this as I do every May. In spring, as the anticipation of its promised glories slowly creep into winter-weathered bones, the business of the season, all that is required, overtakes us like a Tsunami. Planting seeds; preparation of soil; regaining paths … [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