It takes approximately a year from the time gourds are planted until they are mature, cured and ready to be crafted. The process can be very labor intensive. Each gourd is hand selected, studying its shape and texture to determine what it wants to be! As a product of nature, most gourds have "imperfections" such as bumps, indentations and assymetry. Sometimes these features are incorporated into a design; they also contribute to the uniqueness of the gourd itself. No two gourds are alike!
Lots of prep work is involved...cleaning, sanding, puttying, etc. before the creative process even begins! Various techniques are used:
- A gourd serves as a natural canvas which is hand-painted in layers with acrylics to achieve detail and given a multi-step hand-rubbed antique finish.
- Hand-sculpted paper clay and wood is combined with the gourd to create an natural synergistic combination. After painting, a multi-step hand-rubbed antiquing technique finishes each piece.
- Gourds with a flawless patina just too pretty to cover with paint are carved/and or pyroengraved. Translucent ink dyes are used to color allowing some of the natural mottling produced by nature to show through.
Raw, dry gourds waiting to be transformed into gourd art!
Kim and Bob Gladfelter, Folk Artists
Gourds growing on wire arbor on the farm
The magic of the gourd arbor in summer
