Sequencing the gourd art process and having a well-thought-out plan is the key to a fun experience and a successful gourd. Karen intends to sell this gourd in a gallery, so I will share what tools she uses to make this gourd ready for a gallery showing. I will also suggest a few new tools she uses.
A well-thought-out plan begins with challenging your creativity
A southwest theme is rolling around in her mind. How does she cut the gourd to reflect that theme? Not good at drawing, she searches for copy-free images she can burn with pyrography paper. Does she have the right beads or embellishments to make the images pop?
Which of her gourd skills can she show off on this gourd? What color scheme reflects her theme? Many artists work this all out in their heads and gather the material they will need in a shallow box. I also like to do small sketches on paper that explore different ways to cut off the top and where I want the images to go around the gourd.
As with Karen, these questions hang out in my brain for days till I finally see the finished gourd in my head and I like it! Then I am ready to begin.
On first look, her design might look simple and straight forward, but each piece she adds must be in proportion. Everything must be correctly and neatly done to make it a gallery gourd.
Step #1 when sequencing the gourd art process is Gourd Preparation
Do you have a gourd in mind? Each shape offers different opportunities. Karen sets her gourd on her work table and imagines it finished. She wants a nice smooth surface with little coloration because much of the gourd surface will be showing. She will be woodburning, so the gourd must be very clean.
I recommend Abranet 240 grit paper. Then right before wood-burning, I sand the image area with 600 grit paper to rid the gourd of dust and then I condition the dry surface with Formula 49 to help the burning process. To find out more about using conditioners read, 10 Ways to Use a Gourd Conditioner in Gourd Art
First Problem is Recognized:
Karen’s gourd had a slight pimple on the bottom that prevented it from standing. The fastest solution is a power tool worth having. This little belt sander has a section on the side where you can lay your gourd on the tray as the paper rotates on the bottom of your gourd. Making the fix easy. In the process, she notices that the bottom is thinner than the top. The possible solution is filling the bottom with glue and sand or mounting it on a slab of agate. She will have to open the gourd before she makes a decision.
Step #2 in sequencing the gourd art process is Cutting the top off
I often refer to this cut as a design cut. This cut can add drama and interest and set your theme. Karen made an excellent choice with this one. It is perfect for her pueblo theme. There are so many ways to make a great design cut, I highly recommend you read my post on this topic if you often get stuck.
How to Add Drama to your Gourd with a Design Cut
With the top cut, Karen see how thin the gourd is on the bottom and decides to mount the gourd on an agate slab to make sure it will stand securely. It would be too difficult to get the sand and glue inside. Following a sequence will often help you solve problems better.
Step #3 as you sequencing the gourd art process is Finishing the interior of the Gourd
After making your design cut, you will have to clean and sand the inside. Your buyer will stick their hand in the gourd! It must be smooth. Once cleaned and sanded, then paint the interior. Karen’s experience made her aware of the need to make the opening big enough to get her cleaning tools and paint can down into the gourd. A great tip is to cover the rim and a little of the sides with masking tape to catch the drips and paint sprinkles.
Step #4. in sequencing the gourd art process is Wood Burning
It is best to wood burn on a clean surface and not over another coloring product. The major purpose of woodburning is to create a ditch to restrict your coloring product from running off the gourd. So always burn first.
There are many ways to transfer your ideas to the gourd surface which I have covered in other posts. This is a gourd to be sold in a gallery. Therefore, it needs to be treated as a sculpture. It must be beautiful and interesting all around the gourd. Your images must move the viewer’s eye around the gourd.
Step #5 in sequencing the gourd art process is Applying color to the Background, then the images
Next, Karen adds a warm gold dye to the background and evens it out with a tissue. Let this dry and heat set. Keep your lids on the dye as you work, they will spill and they do stain. Many artists recommend gloves for this process.
Next, fill the image shapes with color. Remember you can mix the dyes and inks to change their tones. Go slowly, and avoid over-applying the colors. When Karen got to a smaller area she used a Q-tip for more control.
Step #6 in sequencing the gourd art process is Creating an area of Texture.
Karen uses a simple painting technique that showcases her lovely wood-burned lines. But this gourd also can show her other skills. A textured section will add variety and if it goes around the gourd, it will help move the viewer’s eye around the gourd when displayed in the gallery.
She lightly scraped the surface between her two lines that ground her images and used a ball burr to create the indented circles on the gourd surface. Once this is lightly sanded you will want to protect the surface. Karen painted the area with parchment-colored acrylic paint
Step #7 in sequencing the gourd art process is Attaching Embellishment
On this gourd, Karen has chosen to glue on most of her attachments. I prefer Diamond Glaze others like to use E6000.
The important element here is getting just a drop on the area and not smearing it on the gourd surface. She also chose to carve out spaces on the gourd so the turquoise pieces can be inset into the gourd surface.
This process helps secure the stone into the core fiber of the gourd and gives it a more finished look. Worth the practice to master as you advance in your gourd art.
She also carved out holes to secure the wooden vigas at the top as part of the design cut. These were then glued.
Next Problem:
How do you secure three-dimensional gourd pieces?
The crosses and the tiny gourd basket present other problems. She did not want to inset them into the gourd, but wanted them to remain on the surface without being easily knocked off when handled. Just gluing them to the surface would not be adequate. By the way, the basket is made from the top of a small jewelry gourd and yes, it was wood burned and painted. The basket and the gourd crosses are held on the gourd using the stick pin method.
Karen used an awl to create a tiny hole in the base of the basket. Then a cut-off stick pin was inserted with a touch of glue. Then she made a small pinhole on the gourd where the basket would be attached. After the hole was made into the wall of the gourd, she touched the pin surface with glue and inserted the pin. She also did this with gourd cross pieces. There is no fear these will fall off in the future!
Gourd Problem: Sanding the tiny basket and cross pieces.
The basket, the crosses, and the spaces for the turquoise were sanded with a great specialist tool. Try these sandpaper Q-tips. Yes, they are wrapped with sandpaper! A different grip on each end. Found them at Mountain Wood Carvers
Step #8 in sequencing the gourd art process is giving it the right final Finishes.
All of the color product is still sitting on the surface of this gourd. If you heat set the dyes, they too are not totally sealed. The first decision you will make is what kind of shine you want on your gourd. Some like their gourd with a high gloss shine, while others want it to glow, but not overwhelm the colors. Karen has chosen a semi-gloss.
The reasons for my finish choices are explained in the post-Review of Clear Finishes for Gourd Art
The gourd will be sold in Arizona, so I suggest three sprays. First, a Workable Fixatif to seal all colors of products.
Then a UV Resistant filter sprays to help the colors stay strong under sunny conditions.
Last, a final spray of Polycrylic is applied. This is a high-end finish because it will be sold in a gallery and will last for several years.
Each spray is held at least a foot from the gourd and 2-3 light coats are needed. The Polycrylic should not be applied until a week goes by to make sure everything is dry. This is a perfect time to photograph the gourd to avoid reflections.
In conclusion,
Each step of the sequence is important and should not be hurried. If you are not in the mood, then walk away until you are feeling ready to work.
Take all the time you need to plan and gather the different parts. Try different images, consider many gourds. Most great ideas come on the fourth or fifth try.
The sequence will always be:
- Cleaning and preparing the gourd.
- Make the design cut.
- Clean and paint the gourd interior.
- Do a good sanding job where the wood-burning will happen.
- Carving can happen after you draw the lines or after wood-burning them. Sealing the carved surface will help prevent mistakes using the coloring products.
- Use your coloring products, heat set your dyes. Spray all coloring products with Fixatif.
- Add your embellishments and let them dry well.
- Use final sprays.
Each Step of the Sequence presents problems and presents correct fixes as you work through the process.
You might ask why the vigas were added at the end and not soon after the top was cut and sanded? There was a chance for them to be broken off as she moved the gourd around painting and carving. Thinking through your sequence allows you to avoid many problems.
When she chose to cut off the top just big enough to get her hand in, and she saw that the gourd was thinner toward the bottom, it also was clear to her that the gourd would have to be glued to an agate slab to reinforce the base and keep it stable.
Skipping around the sequence may bring you problems you can no longer easily fix.
The more you work on gourds and with gourd products, the more you will be able to anticipate problems. But the sequence should stay about the same. The carving part is often done after sanding when it is a major part of the design. Seal it before doing anything else to the surface.
Karen shows her work in her hometown gallery, The Finer Arts Gallery in Cave Creek Arizona. You can also visit her website .
Karen was gracious enough to share her process pictures and tips to help me create this post. I invite you to do the same.
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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Fantastic article! Thank you both! And lucky me-I’m only an hour away from the gallery-will make a point to visit it!
Great article. Betty, in the conclusion you indicate that the carving is done after wood burning and before adding the colours. However, in the step-by-step the inks and dyes are applied before carving the texture. Which sequence is best?
Both work. But I usually want to do the carving first incase I ruin it and dont want to continue.