Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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Art in the Woods Nov 11-13

September 22, 2016 By Melinda

Giant Hearth Basket by Melinda West

Hi friends and fellow artists. I am working on commissions and creating new work with Pacific Northwest plant fibers which will be available this November 11,12,and 13 at Sydni Sterling's Studio and gallery, in Indianola, Washington, as a part of the 2016 Art In The Woods Studio Tour. In 2017, I will be writing a workbook/resource for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Artwork, News Tagged With: art, Art in the Woods Studio Tour, culture, IslandWood, new work, residency, science, small plant fiber project, students, teachers, teaching, website upgrade, young people

Learning About Pollinators

February 2, 2015 By Melinda

The Pollinator Garden Fence at IslandWood, by Melinda West As a plant fiber artist inspired by nature, learning the life stories of important native Pacific Northwest pollinators has been one of the most delightful aspects of making this fence, and is one example of how art and science are interwoven.  This fence defines a border for ‘a garden … [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: ancient, art, bamboo, cedar limbs, Commission, IslandWood, milled cedar splints, pollinator garden, pollinators, science, sustainable, universal, wattle fence, Western red cedar

Artist in Residence at IslandWood

June 10, 2012 By Melinda

Donna Souter Photography

  This March I was delighted to spend two weeks as an Artist in Residence at IslandWood, a 'School in the Woods' on Bainbridge Island, just a ferry ride away from the city of Seattle.  I worked with competent, considerate  5th graders from Aberdeen, Bremerton, and Mercer Island; and junior-high/high school age students from Seattle and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Students, Weaving Nature, Workshops Tagged With: 4th -6th graders, art, artist in residence, clam, clam shell rattle necklace, ethnobotany, nature beads, necklace, planting Western Red Cedar, rattle, Red Osier Dogwood, science, Small Plant Fiber Projects, spring, students, teaching, Western red cedar, willow, workshop

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Recent Posts

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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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