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Reviews
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Cat on Jan 20, 2023
5 out of 5 starsReceived very quickly and in good shape. Beautiful piece of artwork; exactly as depicted on website. Lovely design and great workmanship. I immediately hung it on the wall by the doorway to the kitchen and hallway. I get to enjoy its beauty many times throughout the day.
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Margaret on Jan 21, 2023
5 out of 5 starsExcellent quality. Looks like one one pictured. Met all my expectations.I have bought a lot from this artist always very pleased with purchase
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Margaret on Dec 4, 2022
5 out of 5 starsLove this beautiful heart ornament. Plan to keep this one myself I have bought a lot of ornaments that I giving for gifts this is such a wonderful site for ornaments
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Margaret on Dec 4, 2022
5 out of 5 starsI collect anything with heart love this gourd very special beautifully done great buy
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Beverly Baker on Dec 4, 2022
4 out of 5 starsI have purchased several baskets from this seller!! Each one magnificent and a work of art!! Wonderful!!!!
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Margaret on Nov 22, 2022
5 out of 5 starsI love the turtle design great buy very pleased with purchase
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Margaret on Nov 22, 2022
5 out of 5 starsLovely ornament. Very well met my expectations pulse. Better. Very please as always with all the ornaments I received from this site.
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Margaret on Nov 22, 2022
5 out of 5 starsBeautiful ornament. Even better than expected. The quality was wonderful
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Margaret on Oct 15, 2022
5 out of 5 starsLove this ornaments so wonderfully made I have purchased from site a lot and always pleased with quality. Great buy
About GourdsByGrace
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My interest in gourds started very early. Born and raised in Nigeria I saw the people used gourds for everything.
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When times are normal I do about 20 outdoor shows in a year. I love talking to people about gourds!
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My gourd art has been featured in many newspapers and magazines. This article was in San Diego Home and Garden.
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One of my customers sent me this wonderful photo of some of the gourd ornaments she has purchased from me.
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One of my gourds was featured on the cover of the American Gourd Society magazine along with a four page article.
American African is obsessed by Gourds
I am a gourd artist who used to be a watercolor painter. My interest in gourds began as a small child, born and raised in Nigeria. The Nigerian people use gourds for everything from storing food to spoons to holding cosmetics. When I saw a class on gourd art offered by San Diego Botanic Garden eleven years ago I decided to give it a try. The feel and smell of the burning gourd just took me “home”. I was hooked.
I purchase my gourds from Welburn Gourd Farm — uncleaned and uncut. First I soak and scrub farm dirt and the mold off of the gourds. Then I look at each gourd carefully for any flaws or cracks. Each gourd has its own personality and that often dictates what design I will burn into the gourd and whether it will stay whole or become a opened vessel. The mold that forms on the gourds makes patterns that can be used or disregarded depending on the design. Sometimes I have a very definite design in mind when I begin and sometimes I make it up as I goe along. Some gourds may take as little as two or three hours to complete. Others may take days or weeks.
Gourds have taken over my life. My brushes, paints and canvas have been pushed to one side (I was a water color painter for 20 years) as I explore the wonderfully tactile, three dimensional world of gourds. My gourds are sold through the Off Track Gallery located at 937 South Coast Highway 101, Suite C-103 (behind Starbucks), downtown Encinitas, CA 92024 and in person at outdoor shows throughout Southern California (when life gets back to normal). All current gourds available for purchase may be viewed at GourdsByGrace.com. Email swanson121 [!at] cox.net for prices and more information.
Shop members
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Grace Swanson
Owner
I am a gourd and pine needle basket artist. My interest in gourds began as a child — raised in Nigeria. Nigerians use gourds for everything. My gourd art pieces are cut, dremeled, dyed, carved, painted, beaded and finished with a UV acrylic spray.
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