Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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The Community Completes the Artist

November 14, 2025 By Melinda

There are lots of reasons artists create their work…necessity (pay the bills), compulsion, yearning, expression, exploration, joy, invention, obligation….but many of us do our work alone. One of the beautiful things that happens when artists open up their studios to the outside world…is the interaction and exchange of ideas with friends, neighbors, patrons, and other artists.

Sterling Studio

Cultural Arts Foundation NW has sponsored the Art in the Woods Studio Tour for several decades now, and I’ve been fortunate that Sydni Sterling has shared her lovely studio space with me for this annual event.

Syd’s paintings with my Fiber Art

Sydni’s vibrant acrylic paintings reflect the life of one who flourishes – by – on – and in – the Salish Sea. Her work also represents special places she and her poet-husband travel to for their inspirations.

Sterling Studio 2025

Each year, we’ve had the privilege to observe each other’s work closely to appreciate the changes in subject matter and exploration.

Sterling Gallery

Old friends visit…and look quite good with Syd’s paintings.

Sterling Studio

During the Art in the Woods Studio Tour, those who come out of the woods or by ferry to see our work, often share insightful comments that are important for us to hear.

Happy owners of a large Canoe Bailer-style Vessel

We are grateful to this community for their continued support and encouragement as Syd and I continue to develop our work. We aren’t done yet…we are evolving.

Thank you to everyone who came to see us last weekend. We are grateful to live in a community that values and supports artists and makers.

We hope to see you again next year, the second Friday-Sunday in November.

Filed Under: Artwork, Community, News, Upcoming Tagged With: Art in the Woods 2025, Art in the Woods Studio Tour, cafnw, community, Community partnership, Cultural Arts Foundation NW, fiber art, painting, Sydni Sterling painter, Sydni Sterling Studio

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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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