Gourd Information - In some areas, like the northeast corner of the United States where I live, people are not familiar with gourds, so I've provided a little information about them.

Hard shelled gourds need a long growing season. I usually purchase my raw gourds from Arizona or California. The gourds are green and heavy when ripe. They need to dry for about six months before they become hard and very much like wood. I buy them already dried.

When dry, gourds are quite lightweight. The thickness of the "walls" of the gourd vary, and it's difficult to know how thick they are until the gourd is cut open. They can be cut open with a sharp knife or small saw. Below is a picture of an opened gourd before it is cleaned of the seeds and pulp. The pulp is dry and must be cleaned out by scraping and sanding. It is a messy process which creates a lot of fine saw dust.

I usually create the design by drawing on the gourd with a pencil. The gourd itself usually inspires a design. The design is determined by the shape and size of the gourd, and even the natural exterior markings on the gourd. I complete the artwork using pyrography (woodburning), wood stains, acrylic paint, or some combination of these. The gourd can be made into a bowl, box, vase, or even left unopened.

Since I discovered gourds, I now prefer to work with them over any other art medium. When working with gourds, I not only create nature art, I create it with nature itself.