art

Creativity After Christmas
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Creativity After Christmas

While working on my next big piece, I’ve been contemplating the art I’ve made during January in the past few years. Not only did I find that the pieces were some of my best, but three of the past four have won an award of some sort! 

2014 – Date Night (formerly Colored Pear Illuminated) – 1st gourd lamp, won 3rd place in sculpture at 2014 Celebration of the Arts

2015 – Teddy’s Balloon – made for my little man – 1st place in Gourd Magazine Spring 2017 Craft contest (resulting in featured artist for Summer issue)

2016 – Ascension – Honorable Mention at 2016 Artworks Members Only show

2017 – Dream – My largest piece to date – sold during my first setup at the Kentucky Crafted Market

Stay tuned for this year’s creation 😁

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Gourd Pen Holders

My newest item… Gourd Pen Holders! These fun little pieces incorporate my love and fascination with unique rocks, with my love of gourd art. Using hand-picked unique conglomerate creek rocks as bases, and a hand-drawn gourd mini bowl, decorated with pyrography and nail polish (just like my ornaments and bottle stoppers). Each one is promised to be truly unique and original. 

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Fairy Lamp #3

I’ve been working on more and more lamps over the years. I love the way I can do my normal artwork, then incorporate a lighting aspect that “shines a whole new light” on the project. This is the first Fairy Lamp that I’ve drawn out and completed, in July 2016. Featuring a fairy silhouette, surrounded by a fantasy swirl of blue and purple alcohol inks. Supporting design included pyrography, carving, and filigree techniques, which also include coloring with alcohol inks. The gourd is attached to a wood slice for a stand, with a led candelabra light in the bottom. 

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Dawn (2016)

Dawn (2016) – Gourd vase.  This piece features various patterns rising in different directions, surrounded by a sun-like gold glow of the morning. The gourd as a whole does a great job representing my journey as an artist. I’ve taken various paths, trying different techniques, and (thankfully) am still rising, like the sun at Dawn.
This gourd is also the 2nd of 5 gourds that I refer to as the “Accidentals”, which were grown at my mom’s, from discarded seeds along an old fence row within a goat field. Thin, but special. 

Dawn found it’s new home during the 2016 Artworks Members Only show. 

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Ascension (2016)

Ascension (2016) (9″ x 9″)  Hand drawn over Christmas break (2015) and completed in January 2016.  This gourd features various patterns, ascending upwards with contrasting designs and divergent directions, symbolizing the varying paths I’ve taken while growing my skill and ability with gourd art.  Embellished with pyrography, cutting, and carving.

This piece has been in two juried shows, while being awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2016 Artworks Members’ Juried Show (sponsored by the great Cheree Federico Photography).

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Hive (2016) – Gourd Lamp

Introducing “Hive.”

This gourd lamp, created in January 2016, sits 18 inches high (including stem) and is 7.5 inches at its widest point. The name comes from the center design, a series of hexagons drawn out while experimenting with various shapes. The name continues to fit once you notice the different patterns working together to create on work of art, with its inner light shining through.

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Hive (2016) - unlit front

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Hive (2016) - unlit back

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Hive (2016) - lit front

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Hive (2016) - lit back

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Gourdaments 2015

It’s beginning to be that time of the year! Well, at least for artist and crafts people. I’ve begun creating my little gourdaments (gourd ornaments) and thought I’d give you a peek. Each gourdament is hand drawn on a personally grown egg gourd, decorate with pyrography (wood burning) and a little color added with nail polish (yep, nail polish). After each is completed, I dip them twice in UV-Resistant wood finish to ensure a great, long lasting protection. Each is about the size of a store-bought large chicken egg, but they do vary somewhat.

The designs are all unique, with various symmetrical patterns working together to create a one of a kind treasure for the holidays.

Gourdaments can be custom ordered and personalized. If you like a certain style that you see me post, I can either recreate with your desired colors and personalization, or create a unique version similar to that. Just let me know.

I hope you enjoy 🙂

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Gourdaments 2015

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Gourdaments 2015

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Gourdaments 2015

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Gourdaments 2015

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Gourdaments 2015

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Custom Gourd Lamps

While most of my work can be custom ordered anyways, the Sanders Lamp is a good example of a custom gourd lamp with a family name, word, or whatever your mind can come up with. Most of the time I’ll have the center piece, accompanied by symmetrical designs encompassing the remainder of the piece, sometimes with color and sometimes without. The bases are made from recycled trees, currently I’m using a maple tree that had to be removed from my yard. The lights are typically a candelabra base (think night light) that sits in a hole in the center of the base.

If you’d like to order one, just let me know. They are fully customizable and able to be personalized. Prices depend on size and amount of detail, so prices can are able to match needed budgets. Feel free to look at pictures of previous lamps I’ve created for inspiration.

Thank you 🙂

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Olive Bushel gourd basket

Here’s a look at the 1st gourd completed in 2015, Olive Bushel.

Featuring four olive branch-inspired handles reaching out from under the
basket to come together peacefully above it all. The four branches also encompass patchwork-inspired patterns created with pyrography and cut-outs.

Enjoy 🙂

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Olive Bushel - 2015