Carol Kroll’s gourd sculptures go beyond being vessels. They become a stand-alone artistic view of nature and her connection to life’s experience and we forget the gourd material. Let’s explore how her work is different and what we may want to borrow from her work.
Her gourd sculptures transcend most expectations we have for an artistic outcome from a hard-shell gourd, dirty and molded. This work encourages us to look beyond our first ideas and look inside our imagination and to nature for inspiration to delight our viewers.
Her journey as a gourd artist is familiar to those of us on a gourd path, but her former career and painting skills excel her work’s quality when she adds carving to her repertoire and begins to explore the many possibilities of gourds.
Carol’s gourd sculptures reflect her experience with art
Many of our great gourd artists come to gourds after a successful career in another art form. Therefore, they bring along knowledge of the design process and art skills that can adapt to other media. I think this confidence in their art ability allows them to challenge themselves with the gourd even at the beginning. They immediately see beyond the object and approach the gourd as something to change and see differently.
Farm life surround her with nature’s patterns and the cycle of gourds
Carol spent 30 years as a textile designer before she moved to a small farm in central NC and planted a small garden where she just happens to plant a few gourd seeds. Suddenly, her life changed and she became a 3-D artist.
She lives on a farm close to nature and finds inspiration around her and feels an interconnection with all of life with its resilience as well as her fragility. Her goal is to celebrate the beauty and wonder of natures’ design and honor her.
“I am intrigued by natures’ recurrent fractal patterns; the repetition of color, texture and form recurring throughout nature from the micro to the macro.”
Her gourd sculptures begin with a pencil line
Each project begins with an idea and a feeling. She may start working on a gourd only knowing whether it will be a functional piece or a sculptural piece. Other times, she has a fully formed concept that may or may not change during the process of creating. As she begins to lay out her design, she is always guided by the gourd itself.
“After I clean and properly prepare the gourd for artwork. I begin putting pencil to the gourd. Once I am satisfied with the layout, I begin the processes of carving, sculpting, and painting. Finally, I seal each piece inside and out with several coats of a protective finish.”
She and the gourd then resolve design problems
As the drawing proceeds, she tackles all the design issues gourd artists have to solve as they listen to the gourd tell them what will work and what won’t!
“Inspiration and problem solving may come when I least expect it, sometimes during a walk-in nature or upon awakening. It may come as I experiment with a new type of paint or clay or when discovering a different carving technique or by introducing wire and other materials. The versatility and inherent beauty of the gourd guide my artistic voice.”
The first gourd sculpture begins her perspective of gourds
Carol’s first gourd piece shows us she was focused on another view of the gourd shape. Most of us think only of the exterior and aim towards a pleasing vessel. Carol cut most of the gourd away and focus on cutting and painting the inter.
You can see this theme repeated in later works.
The movement of textile design is repeated in her gourd painting technique
Carol comes to gourd after working with a textile design where patterns and textures have to flow into each other and colors gradient and blend across wide areas. Her excellent painting skills allow her work to display a realistic image that also emulates an emotional reaction.
Carving skills take time and practice, but enhanced her gourd sculptures
Like all gourd artists, she has spent years learning how to carve a gourd. Each new piece improves her skill and confidence to go beyond the known avenues of the technique. As her gourd sculptures become more complicated, she still looks at the gourd shape for guidance.
“The versatility and inherent beauty of the gourd guide my artistic voice as I try new materials and approaches.”
The discovery of carving brought her gourd sculptures to a different place.
As her new skill improved, the gourds became more like sculptures. The negative space added more dimension and movement as your eye travels around the piece. She also begins to add additional gourd pieces to change the original form.
Creating a sculptured environment with filigree work
Next, she moves to add things to the interior of the gourd sculpture. It may be another gourd or something made from clay. She moves from animals in nature to the micro. Notice how she still treats the interior of the gourd as a painting and carving surface.
Over time we can see how each new piece becomes more sculptural and less a gourd pot.
Each gourd sculpture now stands alone with seamless integration of materials and emotion.
In the last 17 years, her work has become true sculptures comprised of more than one gourd or a variety of gourds. And her combination of materials is seamless. She will often incorporate a clay element or eggshells into her work and often it is hard to tell the new elements from the gourd surface.
The Koi fish painting symbolizes love and friendship. Lily pad and lotus flowers are comprised of three different gourd varieties; giant bushel, canteen, and egg.
I also want to point out her use of gourds as stands for her gourd art and how each piece is a combination of different varieties of gourds and sizes. This idea we all can think about using.
Recently she has move to hanging large gourd pieces on the wall
Her series of “gourds as wall hangings “brings her to using large gourds which gives her a circle to work within. Sometimes she adds just a bit of carving to add interest and texture.
“Pause In Nature, may we all pause in nature to remember we are connected to every living thing.”
There is a wonderful tone of balance and cooperation through the interplay of her colors and the abstracted organic forms as they flow around the 17-inch circle. Then every once in and while we see an image like the dragonfly and the leaves. Every inch of this gourd is talking to the viewer. I saw this piece at the 2022 Arizona Gourd Festival where it stole the hearts of the visitors and the judges winning-
- A Blue Ribbon-Master’s Division
- Another Blue Ribbon- Master Catagory-Coloring Techniques
- Best of Show Ribbon
In these three close-up images, observe how the design starts off-center near the nibble of the gourd. On the upper left side, the flow of the pattern is broken by just a little area of carving. And among the organic shapes, we see a butterfly. Also, the transparent acrylic paints are layered helping the colors flow into the next with no real sharp edges. There is a master painter here with excellent skills.
In this video taken in 2012, you can hear Carol talk about some of her pieces.
Carol’s globally recognized gourd sculptures transport gourd art into the realm of fine art.
“I use an organic material rich in history and move it forward with contemporary design. My formal art training was in both fine and commercial art. Lagenaria, or hardshell gourd, offers me the diversity to utilize my fine art skills in painting, sculpting, and carving.”
Please take time to see more of her work on her website.
You can also follow her on Facebook to see her newest work.
Have you seen her work in person? What do you like best about it?
Share your thoughts here in the comment box or share them with all the gourd artists on our Facebook Group Page.
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I am awestruck by her work.. I would love to sit and watch her create
What a creative way to use gourds!
I love your work!