My art starts from a seed. Literally. A gourd is a member of the cucurbit family, like a pumpkin or a cucumber, but way cooler! Pumpkins will rot over time, but gourds, if you care for them properly, will dry out and harden to a substance like a lightweight wood. And, will never rot! They are perfect for so many uses, and a perfect canvas for telling a story.

The process, in it's most simplistic form requires two disciplines; one, preparing the gourd for the art, and two, preparing the art for the gourd. For the first, the gourd is grown, cared for, pollinated either by hand or cucumber beetles (our pollinating ally and sometimes pests!) when the time is right the gourd is harvested and left to dry out, it takes about 9-12 months for this to happen completely. Once dried, the gourd is ready for anything! Carving, burning, painting, etc....

To prepare the art, I do a lot of sketching. I take a lot of pictures. Then I sketch some more. My inspiration comes from many sources, sometime I get an image so clear in my head it has to go on a gourd. Sometimes, I have an idea that is so fuzzy it takes a lot of brain power to clarify it enough to draw (ouch!) I love nature, and Celtic designs, and art that tells a story.

All of my work is done by hand by myself. My favorite way to decorate a gourd is by burning it. Also known as pyrography- which literally means "fire=pyro" + "writing=graphy" I use a wood burning pen and 2 different tips, one for shading and one for lines. I draw my design on the gourd lightly with a pencil, then burn it, adding details as I go along. I decide ahead of time if I can going to carve, or weave around the rim, add gold leaf or colors or stone inlay. I love to try new materials and mix techniques.

Please visit my website to if you would like to see past artwork, visit my blog and sign up for my newsletter, don't worry I do not send these very often so I promise not to clog your inbox! http://www.jragourdart.com/