Gourdeous, Just Gorgeous

Gourd by professional, master carver Bonnie Gibson. 
This is in my collection.  The top shows the front of the gourd
and the bottom photo shows the backside.

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I celebrated the first day of October by fertilizing my garden.  My roses got special treatment, of course, since their appetites gravitate to something a bit more sophisticated than 10-10-10.  They are beginning to put on their Fall display; I'm cutting flowers and finding new growth every day.
 

My rendition of Acadia and Baxter.

The weather is gorgeous.  While the temperatures are a bit higher than is seasonal, the sun doesn't feel as intense and the shade feels marvelous!  I took a swim today to put in my mile and nearly froze when I jumped in.  The colder nights are taking their toll on pool temperatures.  I probably have only a few weeks left of swimming.

Aside from gardening, I've been turning to artwork lately.  I've completed a couple watercolor pencil studies of Harris' ground squirrels and black-tailed prairie dogs using some of Keith's photos as a basis.  In addition, I've started carving my third gourd.

I call this one "Desert Jewels"

Gourd carving wasn't something I heard much about in Virginia, but out here, it is a popular art form.  My sister-in-law Elaine and I have been attending the Wuertz Gourd Festival for two February's now and have been really impressed with the talent we've seen.  These aren't your homemade birdhouse gourds, although those do exist.  The art gourds range from intricately incised flowers, animals, and desert scenes colored with dyes and inks to feather and bead embellished masks and handbags.  Masterpieces by expert artists like Bonnie Gibson and Phyllis Sickles run $400-$2000.  They are collectible and beautiful.

"Good Morning Mama"

I'm a fledgling carver but I love the craft.  I'm on my third gourd now, and as I work I learn more and more.  My first two gourds each took over 80 hours of work, including drawing the initial design on the piece, cutting and shaping with Dremel tools, and painting the finished carving.   I still have my first gourd but gave my second to my physician who needed an art piece for his office.  Now every time I visit him, I see the gourd prominently displayed, and he tells me how many of his patients are complimentary of the work.

I'm not interested in commercial art, but I am taking satisfaction in learning a new skill that encompasses other talents I love, like drawing and painting.  In the case of gourds, the Dremel is my pencil.  



My first gourd.

Next time you see a gourd, think about it as a potential piece of art.  Given enough experience and knack, you can turn that dried out squash into something gourdeous!

Front and back of my second gourd.



A work in progress.