Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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Artistic Uses of Plant Fibers

My workshops are an introduction to skills and technologies giving access to the creative use of plant fibers. Here are some of the design-build workshops I’ve taught that blur the borders of art and craft, merging fiber techniques with sculptural weaving and paper-making.

The workshops here include: Design and Build with NW Plant Materials, Sculptural Weaving and Paper-Making, Creative Uses of NW Plant Materials, Non-Traditional Uses of NW Plant Materials, Innovation With Invasives, Paper Making from the Garden.

Cedar Satchels

Woven Cedar Bark Satchel or Purse

Learn the basics of the traditional art of weaving with Cedar.

Kathy Puts It All Together

More Pictures From NCI Art Retreat

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” – Scott Adams

Inspriation Out Our Door

2012 Images from NCI Retreat

Inspiration is right out our door at North Cascades Institute.

View from Sourdough Falls

Art Making in the North Cascades

What art offers is space, a certain breathing room for the spirit.~John Updike

A Class Example

North Cascades Institute 2012

Come enjoy four day in the North Cascades on the shores of Diablo Lake at North Cascades Institute.

8-6-11 Linda and Nicole hard at work

Images – 2011 Workshop At NCI

The environment here is wonderful – classrooms, views, trails, meals, and friendships!

8-8-11 Sample

More NCI 2011 Class Images

See highly motivated students at work at NCI 2011 workshop.

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NCI Students Begin Their Projects

Everyone is self-directed and highly motivated.

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2011 NCI Class – Finished Projects

Students show their finished projects and share some of the lessons learned.

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Recent Posts

  • Bare Bones Abstracts
  • A Space to Work and Meet
  • Cedar Bark – Useful and Beautiful
  • October 2020 London Craft Week at J&M Davidson
  • Land Acknowledgement 2020

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About Melinda

Thirty 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. The experience of weaving with the materials at hand while being together with my sons on a beautiful Pacific Northwest shoreline, kindled a passion for creating art from natural plant materials. 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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