Sometimes one has to go back and remember how it all started and recall the excitement, discovery and the courage to try new things…
When this journey for me began almost 15 years ago, I would look at each gourd intently and intimately and find the sense of flow in the shape and form of the gourd. That interaction would help me decide what the gourd would become.
My relationship with my gourds maybe became less intimate over the years, as I began experimenting with many different techniques and embellishments. I was still enjoying transforming gourds into fun and unusual pieces but I found myself ‘listening’ less to my gourds. I would get caught up with technique and try to find the right gourd to fit my ‘idea’ rather than allowing the gourd to communicate its desires.
When this journey for me began almost 15 years ago, I would look at each gourd intently and intimately and find the sense of flow in the shape and form of the gourd. That interaction would help me decide what the gourd would become.
My relationship with my gourds maybe became less intimate over the years, as I began experimenting with many different techniques and embellishments. I was still enjoying transforming gourds into fun and unusual pieces but I found myself ‘listening’ less to my gourds. I would get caught up with technique and try to find the right gourd to fit my ‘idea’ rather than allowing the gourd to communicate its desires.
Whenever I feel stuck with a particular piece I’m working on, I try to recall the more playful and joyful interactions I have with my gourds.,. and listen to them. They have a lot to say.
Kintsugi, Gourd Art, 2022
Antelope Canyon, Gourd Art, 2022
