Watch the entire gourd process and see if is the right artform for you!
It may look interesting, but it takes a lot of work to turn an ugly moldy shape and turn it into art. But the gourd process is also fun and along the way you meet great people!
Meet Alretta Skellenger, a Gourd Artist who is going shows you the entire the process of gourd making. If you are a beginner, then this will be very helpful. The retired fifth grade teacher lives in Nevis, Minnesota. Her studio is nestled on a 10-acre tree farm on the shores of Owl Lake, an environmental lake near Nevis.
When she began designing decorative gourds around 2005, there were few other artists like her.
“No one does them around here. That’s alright with me, so nobody knows if I’m doing them wrong or not,” joked Skellenger.
Alretta loves the many steps in the gourd process
When she began designing decorative gourds around 2005, there were few other artists like her.
“No one does them around here. That’s alright with me, so nobody knows if I’m doing them wrong or not,” joked Skellenger.
She doesn’t grow her own gourds. Because the growing season is so short in Minnesota, gourds are thinner there. She purchases them from Welburn Gourd Farms in California. The longer growing season on the West Coast results in thicker shells.
Her studio is set up with work stations for each process. In this 25-minute video she takes you through each process offering tips and showing you the products and tools, she uses.
Look for some of these highlights of the gourd process in the video
She demonstrates cleaning a gourd.
She uses a hot pen to wood burn.
Skellenger paints the porous interior of the gourd with a leather dye.
She also has a special tool for applying ink dye!
See her secret for enhancing gold leaf on a gourd.
Watch her show the basics of carving.
You’re not going to find a quote, unquote ‘perfect’ gourd,”
Every gourd I do is different each time and I learn something new each time,” Most of the time, I’ll have a subject in mind and try to fit it on a gourd. I find I end up going toward abstract or animal.”
But don’t take the journey alone. Most states have Gourd Societies and groups that meet monthly. You can also find the American Gourd Society online with lots of information. And of course, join me here on my blog and join our Facebook group, Gourd Art Talk.
“Gourds have become an outlet for fun, creativity and for meeting other artists who share a need to be surprised by their efforts to embark on that great unknown: Art.”
But don’t take the journey alone. Most states have Gourd Societies and groups that meet monthly. You can also find the American Gourd Society online with lots of information. And of course join me here on my blog and join our Facebook group, Gourd Art Talk.
Author’s Note:
I must make a personal comment about her wood burning tool. It is not the kind most gourd artists use because it is hard to control with no way to change the temperature and it has only a few tips. It is better to learn on an easier tool and I have a great post of the five best tools on the market at https://gourdarttalk.com/how-do-you-choose-a-woodburn-for-gourd-art/ Avoid the hot pen!
Enjoy the video!
The gourd process is challenging because you have so many options and whatever art skills you already have will help you. Fine a gourd farm and buy a few and give it a try.
What is you favorite part about wanting to work with gourds?
Please, 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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