I opened my Etsy shop at the suggestion of a fellow artist. She had seen my work and thought Etsy would be a good fit for my handcrafted fine gourd art.

I visited etsy.com and liked that it catered to people looking for unique handmade items.

The hallmarks of my shop are fresh and innovative designs, exceptional craftsmanship, and excellent customer service.

THE PATH TO GOURDEOUS

I was always artistic as a child. I could draw realistic renditions of the human form in elementary school. I won a cash award in my high school art competition for a figurative piece I drew and studied art in college. After graduating from college, there were long periods of time when I did not create art. These periods coincided with my struggle to find the meaning or value in art, specifically my art.

The drive to create art was always inside me and I tried a number of different art forms such as drawing, painting, screen printing and etching. None of those forms resonated with me until I took a gourd crafting workshop in the late 1980s. I was immediately hooked and knew that I had found my true medium. I fell in love with gourds. As I learned about gourds, I discovered that gourd crafting is a traditional art form practiced by many peoples in Africa, Asia and the Americas. It was and remains exciting to know that I’m carrying this tradition forward.

In 2003 I fully understood and accepted the gift I had been given – that my art had value for it had the power to transform peoples’ lives for the better. I re-affirmed my love of gourd crafting and have been producing gourd creations ever since. I have taken the essence of the medium and created beautiful and unique works of art.

My creations are eco-friendly. This is important to me because I worked as a screen printer for many years and used hazardous chemicals in the production process. In the production of my own art I opted not to use hazardous chemicals and use water-based paints and sealant and organically grown gourds exclusively.

Each time I go to work with gourds, they speak to me, telling me what they want to become – sculpture, jewelry, wearable art pieces. I hope that they speak to you, too.