I don’t even know why I went to the Wuertz Gourd Festival in 2013, but I did. It was there where I first encountered the Gourd Art of Bonnie Gibson and I decided that I wanted to learn how to do what she did. I joined the Arizona Gourd Society and took a few classes. Gourding was fun, and I bought all kinds of new tools to play with. My foray into gourding only lasted a couple of years, though. I apparently didn’t clean some of my art gourds good enough and they got devoured by bugs. It took months to fully purge my house of the bug infestation (they found new homes in pantry products, mostly flour and rice). My husband has never asked me if I had any plans of taking up gourding again.
This is what a dried gourd looks like before the carving process begins.
Here’s a collection of some of my works:
This was my pride and joy. This piece eventually became the secondary source of the bug infestation. It soon became riddled with tiny holes and I had to throw the whole thing away. I think I remember crying. It was sad. I miss this little guy.
My “Mackintosh Rose” inspired gourd. This one still lives and sits near my computer.
A couple of “lidded” gourds. I still have the b&w one but I have no idea where the other one went.
These two are okay. Not my favorites. I gave the first one away and the second one sits in my closet. Both were made using clay. It was a very messy process.
My “Mardi Gras” gourd. This was the primary bug culprit. I didn’t clean the inside thoroughly enough and the bugs chewed their way out. I hated throwing this one away. So many hours of my life wasted. I liked this one so much. It made me happy.
These two are fun. I still have them. The green one is my one of my favorites. I adore its twirly stem.
I have more. Gourds exist all over my house. Whenever I do a hobby, I go all out.
My books Memory Road Trip (e-book or paperback) and Time Traveled (e-book or paperback) are both available! You can also find them at most major international book sites.
Krista Marson 