Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

Working on a New Wall Piece

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I'm happy to finally make time for a promised wall piece for a friend.  It feels wonderful to have completed so much in 2012, and now to have a fresh start.  I can't wait to wake up tomorrow so I can work on this wall piece.  So far, I'm using plum branches, New Zealand flax, Western red cedar bark, and Siberian iris stalks. I'll let you … [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