Gourd Crafting - Before and After Views

I try to find thick gourds so I can add lots of depth and detail to the carved areas. I use a combination of a Foredom tool, a Dremel, and a Turbo Carver for the carving. You can see the lighter areas where the outer layer has been carved away.

Inlace (a stone and resin mixture) was added to some of the recessed areas. I woodburned some areas and painted the rest of the designs with acrylics.

This gourd was started as a demo at the carving class I taught at Welburn's Gourd Festival, June 2003

The gourd features a Red-Tailed Hawk and a desert cottontail rabbit. It has lots of carving and inlaid areas. Some woodburning was added before painting the gourd with acrylics.

SOLD

This gourd was started as a demo at the carving class I taught at Welburn's Gourd Festival, June 2004

The gourd features different types of parrots and macaws, including the Thick-Billed Parrot which was indigenous to the Southwest but is rarely seen today outside of Mexico. The feathers of parrots were prized in ancient times and are still important to Native cultures of the southwest.

One section of the gourd has a stylized bird design, another shows the "Kyash" or Parrot katsina. A single colorful wing feather is carved in relief, and another section has a Mimbres pottery sherd with a parrot design. A stylized Hopi sash encircles the top along with voluta shell heishi inlay.

Stone and resin inlays were added to the gourd and the lid. The lid can be removed to reveal the burned geometric design around the rim.

Currently offered at the Stephenson Gallery, Santa Fe NM