How to prepare a gourd!!

We have had one of the most wonderful winters this year! Short spurts of cold and snow are followed by unusually warm and pleasant days. I could deal with winter a lot better if they were all like this one. I hope it keeps going until the end!

I wanted to take some time, and explain to those not familiar with gourds, all the work that goes into making a fine art gourd. When I grow or buy my gourds, they have already been drying for 6 months or more. They will be covered in dried mold and dirt, which has to be scrubbed off. Above you see the gourds soaking in a wheelbarrow of warm water with some soap and a little bleach added.

Then I use a metal pot scrubber to scrub the entire outside of the gourd to remove the mold and dirt. Sometimes this takes quite a bit of muscle to accomplish. When I am happy with the results, I spray off the gourd and set it in the sun to dry.

Here is one that is all done and drying off. All this happens before the artist can even plan on what the gourd will become. Next time I will go into the next steps.

I have been working on an acrylic painting lately. I took a great reference photo last summer in Virginia of a heron near the ocean.

I loved the colors of the overturned boat and the basket full of nets.

I also got a new camera lens from my husband, around Christmas so I have taken some wonderful pictures of the birds around my feeders!!

I have been accepted into the Kerr arts and Cultural Center fine art gourd show in Texas again so I have to get busy on some new gourds. Also Campbell Pottery will be having a wildlife and landscape theme show this spring! I need to get busy!!!