I grew up and spent most of my life on the east coast. As soon as I retired in 2013, we moved to the Verdes. Never being one to sit still, after leaving a 12-hour workday, I was anxious to find something to occupy my time. I have always liked working with my hands. While I dabbled in needlepoint and other techniques, I never had any art training or experience and never really had the time to develop a serious interest.
In 2014, I attended the Verdes Fall Craft Show and signed up for a gourd class given by an art league member; I was hooked! I love the organic nature of each gourd and the fact that it is not a perfect canvas. Each one has its own character. Working on gourds is therapeutic and I enjoy the constant learning and camaraderie between my fellow artists.
Over the past two years, I have been experimenting with fiber clay sculptures. Some creations are built around a gourd as the armature, while others are formed around varying metal skeletons.
I like bright and bold colors and trying all types of mediums on my gourds. I am working on enhancing my skills in pyrography, carving and drawing. I am a member of the American Gourd Society, the Arizona Gourd Society and the Treasurer of the Southwest Gourd Association.
Lichtenberg (electrical burnings) gourd with Danish cord weaving colored with ink dyes.
This Native American girl hunter was formed with fiber clay, painted with Powertex and then finished to look like a brass sculpture. She is reaching back to retrieve an arrow from her quiver, which is attached to her back. Three small pots adorn her rock.
Native American jewelry and symbols. Each gemstone and symbol was carved from the gourd then painted with acrylics. A ribbon of metal was inlaid in a carved channel on the bottom.
Waves, river rock and river pools adorn this gourd. Each item was carved from the gourd and then painted or stained.