Gourd Art

I’ve always been a nature lover and gardener and started growing gourds and crafting with them many years ago. I still have a few gourd ornaments I made way back in the 90’s that I dyed with natural dye made from Hopi Dye Sunflowers. 

Since then, I’ve worn many occupational hats including being a California Certified Organic Farmer, crafting bent willow chairs and tables from willow harvested from local streambeds and then going on to become a floral designer.

I’ve come full circle back to gourd art. I enjoy growing, carving, woodburning and dying them using mostly transparent acrylic ink dyes in a folk-art style and occasionally using alcohol inks giving those pieces a somewhat abstract flair. My pieces range from vases and bowls to luminarias and electric lamps, bird feeders, succulent gardens and small whimsical ornaments. Some are decorated with pine needle trim, feathers, acorns, beads, sea glass or stones. Recently I’ve been focusing on California native plants and animals that thrive in the Ojai Valley of California.