Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

  • About
    • Art Resume
    • Artist Statement – Land Acknowledgement
    • Teaching, Exhibits, Projects
  • Galleries
    • Functional Ribbed Work
    • Wall Pieces
    • Woven and Folded Bark
    • Sculptural Blends
    • Community
  • Workshops
  • Weaving Knowledge
    • Workshops
    • My Teachers
    • Resources
  • Blog
  • Contact

Carrying On Traditional Knowledge Through Weaving With Plants

February 4, 2019 By Melinda

Weaving From The Wild a workshop at IslandWood with Melinda West

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be together with a community of learners at IslandWood. For seventeen years the dedicated people at IslandWood have welcomed and supported my teaching/artist work, helping me learn to share my passion for making art with plant fibers. Anytime in life is the right time to learn new skills, or hone the skills we … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, News, Weaving from the Wild, Workshops Tagged With: Adult students, IslandWood, IslandWood Community Programs, weaving, Weaving From The Wild, weaving with plant fibers

Gifts from the Landscape – 2016

December 11, 2015 By Melinda

I am grateful to be able to teach a cedar bark weaving workshop at IslandWood this upcoming February. For those of you eager to learn about this cultural art form, but you might not have signed up in time, be sure to get on the wait list in case anyone cancels. https://islandwood.org/event/gifts-landscape-cedar-satchel   NEXT CLASS … [Read more...]

Filed Under: News, Weaving with Cedar, Workshops Tagged With: BARN, Cedar bark workshops, culture, IslandWood, IW, weaving, Western red cedar, workshop

Woven Cedar Bark Satchel or Purse

February 18, 2014 By Melinda

Cedar Satchels

Explore the generous nature of the Western Red Cedar tree as you learn the basics of weaving, twining, and cordage-making using the inner bark of cedar, along with other plant fibers held in high regard and used for thousands of years by the First Peoples of the Pacific Northwest.  As you create your own small satchel or purse you will also learn … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Artistic Uses of Plant Fibers, Students, Workshops Tagged With: artistic cedar weaving, Artistic Weaving With Western Red Cedar, fiber plants, First Peoples, North Cascades Institute, Pacific Northwest, preparating materials, respectful gathering, Twining, weaving, Weaving With Western Red Cedar

Salmon Return Festival Sept 7, 2013

August 30, 2013 By Melinda

Gathering Cattails at Suquamish Basket Marsh

For more information:  https://www.seattleartmuseum.org/calendar/eventDetail.asp?eventID=26281 I hope you can come to the upcming Salmon Return Festival, a Fall-FamilyFriendly-Free-Fun-Festival at Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle Washington, Saturday September 7, 2013, from 10 to 3 pm. Amoung many other fun free things to do and see at this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Students, Weaving Nature, Workshops Tagged With: cattail, drop-in art project, Fall, Family programs, Olympic Sculpture Park, Pacific Rim Peoples, Seattle, Seattle Art Museum, weaving, weaving cattail Salmon

Art Sale Sterling Gallery July 19-21

April 23, 2013 By Melinda

Madrona Bark Vase, Melinda West

Madrona Bark Vase Sydni Sterling and I will be exhibiting our new works: Paintings and Gifts From the Landscape. Stay tuned for details. This is also the weekend of Indianola Days, with the annual Sand Castle contest, Street Fair, Salmon Bake, and Dance, among other activities. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Artwork, News Tagged With: fiber art, Indianola Days, new work, paintings, summer, Sydni Sterling, Sydni Sterling Studio, weaving

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »

Search the site

Subscribe

Blog Categories

Connect with Melinda

  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Recent Posts

  • Spring – It’s on the Way
  • Water Is Life – A Song Worth Hearing
  • Suquamish Elder Ed Carriere is a 2023 National Heritage Fellow
  • Our Sacred Obligation – A Story Worth Spreading
  • Basketry Program at BARN-Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network

Popular Blog Topics

art Art in the Woods Studio Tour Artistic Weaving With Western Red Cedar Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network BARN BARN workshops cedar bark Cedar From Tree To Pouch Clam Basket A Story By Ed Carriere class community creative Cultural Arts Foundation NW design early spring Ed Carriere English ivy Fall First Peoples grasses inner cedar bark IslandWood ivy Katie Jennings leaves mixed grass paper new work North Cascades Institute NW sweetgrass Pacific Northwest Paper making Small Plant Fiber Projects Spencer West spring students summer Suquamish Sydni Sterling Studio teaching weaving Weaving With Western Red Cedar Western red cedar winter workshop

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.
Read More
Melinda West and basket, Indianola WA

Copyright © 2023 Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry | Indianola | Washington | USA

Site by LND