Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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A Space to Work and Meet

January 24, 2021 By Melinda

This has been a year hasn’t it? Fear of losing family and friends to a virus that is transmitted unwittingly by those with no symptoms. Uncertainty. Misinformation. No work, or work from home. No school, or school from home. A daily bombardment from those in leadership who behave the opposite of how we hope to raise our children to behave. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, News, Upcoming Tagged With: branch work, Paper making, students, studio, West Woods Working

Studio Spring Cleaning

June 12, 2012 By Melinda

6-11-12, bark starts

It took a long day to do it, but the studio is cleaned up for the moment.   This is a fleeting experience so I thought I'd take a few pictures before I spread out all the wet materials and begin the fun again, making  my typical huge mess. It is interesting, meeting other artists, learning how each of us have similar or differing processes … [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: spring, spring cleaning, studio

My Studio is a Place of Joy

May 31, 2012 By Melinda

My Studio

Yes, it can also be a place of creative chaos when I bump into materials hanging off the walls and knock down piles of bark drying in the corners as I reach for a tool.  But mostly, it is a place I feel so much love and creative energy. I think the love comes from the fact that my wonderful husband and sons, along with many dear friends, built this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Artwork, News Tagged With: community, family, new work, space to make art, Spencer West, spring, stick shed, storage, studio, timberframe, WestTimberCraft.com

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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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