Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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More Pictures From NCI Art Retreat

October 2, 2012 By Melinda

Kathy Puts It All Together

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...]

Filed Under: Artistic Uses of Plant Fibers, Students, Workshops Tagged With: armatures, cedar bark paper, creative, Creative Arts Retreat, Fall, mixed grass paper, North Cascades Institute, Northwest Landscape, Paper making, plant fibers, recycling materials, Sculptural Basketry and Paper Making, students, surface treatment

2012 Images from NCI Retreat

September 26, 2012 By Melinda

Inspriation Out Our Door

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ncascades/sets/72157631506760027/   Here is a link with the photos that Katie and Jessica took at NCI.   … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Artistic Uses of Plant Fibers, Students, Workshops Tagged With: 2012 Artists Retreat, armature, cedar bark paper, creative, Fall, inspiring, Lake Diablo, mixed grass paper, North Cascades Institute, papermaking, sculptural basketry, students

Art Making in the North Cascades

September 26, 2012 By Melinda

View from Sourdough Falls

I was privileged to be part of a community of wonderful, artistic people this September, at North Cascades Institute, during their annual Art Retreat.  Kristen Gilje, Jocelyn Curry and I, each facilitated classes in our respective art-forms.  We were treated to the best food, all fresh from nearby Skagit Valley farms, prepared by the artisan-chefs. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Artistic Uses of Plant Fibers, News, Workshops Tagged With: armature building, artist retreat, cedar bark paper, Fall, hiking, Jocelyn Curry, Kristen Gilje, mixed grass paper, North Cascades Institute, North Cascades Mountain Range, organic foods, restful, Sculptural Basketry and Papermaking with plants from the NW Landscape, students, surface treatment, workshop

Paper Making and Sculptural Work

May 31, 2012 By Melinda

Vine Maple and Cedar Paper

  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...]

Filed Under: Artistic Uses of Plant Fibers, Students, Workshops Tagged With: armature, build, cedar bark paper, Cedar weaving, class, creative, design, freeform, inspire, mixed grass paper, mixed media, natural materials, Paper making, Sculptural Weaving and Paper Making, Sculptural Weaving and Paper Making With Plants From the NW Landscape, sculpture, students, surface design, workshop

August 16, 2010 Harvesting Grasses and Leaves

August 16, 2010 By Melinda

<><><> </></></>grass fan   28"x20"x2"<><> </></> Summer has peaked in the Puget Sound area with temperatures in the 90's, clear skies, and gentle breezes from the North. This is the time my thoughts flow to the harvesting of foliage from the many long-leaved plants and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Plants and Places Tagged With: bulrush, cattail, common rush, corn husks, crocosmia, crocus, curing, daffodil, foliage, garlic leaves, grass-like materials, grasses, harvesting, leaves, mellowing, mixed grass paper, NW sweetgrass, onion leaves, papermaking, Siberian iris, spring, storage, summer, wall pieces, Yellow Flag Iris

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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

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