Leaf designs for a leaf gourd project.

A review of designs for a leaf gourd project that will spark your creativity!

Do you have a leaf gourd in your collection? You should! They are a great seller because everyone visions it as part of a Thanksgiving display in the center of the table. Besides, no matter what your skills, a leaf shape is easy to draw and carve. The fun and creativity come in how you arrange them around the gourd. To inspire you to give it a try, let’s look at an expert gourd artist and see if any of her designs excite you.

My favorite gourd artist in this category is Marilyn Sunderland. She is a carver that has won several ribbons and awards for her work. Galleries in the Fall like to showcase her work.

“Draw what you love. Create what inspires you.” I do love nature and leaves and that has inspired my gourd carvings all these years.

Here’s what she tells her admirers.

How many hours does it take you to carve a leaf gourd?

I rarely keep track of my hours on carving and completing a gourd. Some gourds have taken 40 to 180 hours, but that is only referring to one or two specific gourds. Each gourd is so different in the process and techniques I use, I don’t like to compare one to the other. My goal is not to carve a specific number of gourds in a limited time frame, but to produce a unique high-quality piece of artwork. Quality is my goal, not quantity.

What Tools do I use?

I carve the gourds with an Optima II Plus carving tool which is a high-speed carving/engraving tool that is powered by compressed air, which fine detail carving.

Additionally, I can purchase different size burrs, so I can carve a wide variety of textures on my gourds.

Many people think my designs are burned on with a wood-burning tool, but in fact, I have not used any wood-burning tool on my gourds. I have carved with a Dremel tool in the past, but was limited by its flexibility and was not able to get the detail I desired. Once I took the gourd carving class, I was hooked. I realized this was what I had been looking for.

What paints do I use?

My favorite medium is oils, because they stay moist longer and allows more flexibility in blending the colors. I also use acrylics and wood stains. Have tried dyes, but prefer wood stains to dyes. I use acrylics for the inside of the gourd because it is so porous. Remember to use a wood sealer first on all carved areas before painting. This will help the paint to stay its true color.

Geeting Beyong the Normal

A master artist skips the first five ideas and looks for a creative solution that fits the gourd perfectly and challenges them to push their skills to create something special.

For that reason, I consider her a very accomplished gourd master carver. Here is a gallery of her work. There are some great ideas here for a leaf gourd project!