The Work
How it's done
My first job when I pick up a gourd is deciding what to remove in order to encourage light to pour into and through it in a way that helps us to see it differently . In this way, my gourd work is very much like the work of a sculptor. For my "chisel" I use a variable high speed rotary tool with multiple accessories and attachments, all specifically designed for power carving at different angles. That, along with a few hand carving tools, some metal files, and every variety of sandpaper you can imagine, gives me the scope of strength and precision that I need to begin my gourd art.
Watch the process
here
See more of my gourd art videos
when you click the YouTube icon to check out
my channel @BethKaneArt
I start by cutting a hole in the base & hollowing out the gourd’s interior. Safety gear is a must, as both the tools and the super fine dust from the carving can be very dangerous. Once the gourd has been hollowed & its interior has been scraped & sanded smooth, I begin to cut my desired shape from the top down. When I am working with gourds, I always allow my design to follow the individual gourd's unique shape & contours, keeping the work organic and natural. To build interest, I bring in techniques like relief carving, filigree, pyrography, inlay, inking and more. My aim is to create a sense of movement, inspired by natural elements like sunshine, water, and growth, enhanced by rich textures and the harmony of entwined masculine and feminine elements. In this way, the gourds are carved and cut to become sculptural vessels for light, whether sunlight or lamplight. The final form will be a gourd whose natural beauty is not obliterated or buried by embellishment but enhanced and celebrated; evolved into treasure.
Unlike a pumpkin or the colorful ornamental gourds you find at the grocery store in the Fall, gourd artists like myself use hard shelled gourds for our work. A medium sized gourd takes me about a week to craft, but the creation begins long before I make my first cut. Most of the gourds I use are planted, ripened, dried & cleaned in the fields of a farm in Pennsylvania. The process takes a full year to complete. By the time it's done, the gourds are hard & strong, and are considered a soft wood, ready for carving.
It thrills me to join the ancient gourd crafters who decorated their gourd bowls and canteens with similar techniques as many as 15,000 years ago.
