At the moment I am mucking around trying to figure out what to make so that I can perhaps take something to enter at the gourd show in Kokomo IN in March. I just get intimidated when I look at others websites and albums and know I can't compete against these amazing artists! I will probably get settled in with some Tenerife weaving and/or some Dream Catcher type stuff. I have never tried those musical instruments that one shakes and the beads are woven down the gourd - I may try that and see if I am happy with it. I am including a link here so you can take a look at some of the stuff I have done in the past year since I "discovered" gourds!

Not going to check the garden catalogs - I will settle for clearing out my flower beds and splitting up the perennials to take to the spring swap and see what I get there in return - then I will go buy some more plants IF I have room. I did buy some gourd seeds at the gourd show in Goshen last fall but I can only find two of those packets ... grrr. A friend said he will drop a plow and I can put gourds in one of his fields that he doesn't use - nice to have some sunshine to grow in for a change!

That is about it from here. Hope everyone has a healthy and wonderful 2007 Happy Gourding!
Rita in Michigan

Here is a link that might be useful: Magic Kiwi Gourds

I am painting, painting like an insane person. I am scheduled to have a show at at local gallery for a month starting Feb 6. I've been working away since last Aug when they gave me the dates. So far I have about 25 finished pieces that I am more or less happy with. There is variety - maranka gourds, kettle, apple, egg gourds...it has been an all consuming project but soon coming to an end. I have taken some pics which I'll try to post after the show opens. J

I ordered bushel seeds just before Christmas and I'm anxiously awaiting them. Tonight, I painted an apple gourd I grew in 2005. I'm not artistic, but I still try to do something creative with the gourds I grow...I can always do something abstract that might turn out interesting.
Robin

Rita, I am looking forward to the Kokomo show, too. We always try to go, but until now, I hadn't thought of entering anything.
My husband just went back to work after recovering from hip replacement surgery and I'm feeling a little lost. (he was home for 10 weeks) I think I'll see what I can come up with for the show.

Janmar, I envy you having a gallery showing. Are you the only gourd artist for this showing? Have fun, and you'll keep the creative edge.

Robin, what are you planning to do with the bushel gourds?
We've grown a few, but still haven't finsihed them. I have done lots of apples and generally use leather dyes to color them. No artistic talent needed there!! I get a dark red, candied apple look, using Oxblood and Burgundy dyes mixed, (about 1/3 bottle of burgundy, with a whole bottle of Oxblood) Fiebings dyes are my choice.
I love doing abstracts! I use colored pieces of tissue papers for some of my abstracts. I am always surprised that they sell so quickly. Keep up the gourd work!

Jan

Hi there Jan, thank you for starting this post. It is always so interesting to read about what others are doing. The gallery show is a 2 person. The other is a collage artist from Seattle. Around here there is very little in the way of gourd art/artists. Quite lonely, but I am so caught up in the beauty and variety of gourds that solitary painting is not a hardship. I really envy all of you out there who have short trips to the big gourd shows. I keep thinking that one year I will get down to Wellborne in June for their big show. J

Jan
I just want to challenge myself to see if I can grow a really big gourd. If I do get a nice bushel, I'll try making a pine needle rimmed basket or bowl out of it. I used a copper colored gel glaze on the apple gourd I painted a few days ago, but I wasn't happy with the result. It doesn't have a natural look to it. I'll give your colors a try. Thanks for telling me about them. I also have a very small bottle gourd that I used a gold glaze on, just splotched the color on and I like the way that color turned out. I did ModPodge a gardening design tissue paper all over a bird house gourd after putting a hole in the gourd. That one turned out very nice. I used twine for the hanger on it. I've never sold anything, but I'm hoping I'll make some nice gourds and possibly sell them at a local craft fair next year.
Robin

I'm finishing up 4 gourds that I started while in Florida--did all the cutting & cleaning on the patio, to leave the mess outside (for friends). They will have translucent shades of fall colored leaves as fret work around the top half-still need to use the dremel for the veins. I plan on doing one with musical instruments around a lidded bowl and glue music sheets inside.
Today I am making a concrete birdbath from a huge leaf that I got in Florida.
People say I should enter a craft show--but I could not stand the rejection or selling something for $40 that I spent 10 hours on.

Hi there - I finally got a temperature controlled woodburner 2 weeks ago - spent an afternoon with a new gourd friend looking at her work, checking out books on pyrography, learning a little about what to do with this woodburner. I think I am having fun!

Right now I am working on a sleepy little Chipmonk that I began a week ago, and then on Friday I started on the Chickadee class that Jenn Avery is offering at the Gourd College Online (run those three words together and google it for information if you want.) I have so much to learn on the woodburning but I need to practice, practice, practice.

Looking forward to going to the big gourd show in Kokomo IN - will be staying at the Days Inn as they have a good discount for gourders - want to take a couple of classes - need to get signed up for those this week, and just hope that I haven't left it too late.

Hope your husband is doing well Jan and that the hip replacement was a great success.
Cheers - Rita in Michigan

Thanks, Rita
Ron is doing great with the new hip. He's doing so well, that he painted our spare bedroom this morning, and tomorrow we'll be setting up work tables and shelves with my art supplies so I actually will have a great space to work on my gourds.
I really need to get some new designs going. I've been invited to participate in a Fine Art Fair at my granddaughter's elementery school next month. I've done this twice in the past, and I'm really excited about it.

This will give me space to invite a few of my gourd friends to spend time working with me. I'm always inspired by the work we share.

Saturday (Mar. 31) will probably be our day at Kokomo. I will spend part of the day at the Sandlady's booth, so she can take a break. Otherwise, we should leave notes on the Message Board so we can meet. Its fun to put a face on someone you've met in the forums.

Jan

Im gonna try for the big daddy pumpkin this year.The 1,000 lbder.I already started them.