About Gourds

Gourds are the medium that inspire my one of kind creations of table top fountains, lamps, sculptural vessels, Asian inspired containers and collectible dolls. My art is in homes through out the U.S, Canada, Europe and Australia. Decorators particularly like the ability to have custom work done for their clients and realtors find my work a unique thank you gift.

Quite simply gourds fascinate me. An ancient plant, predating baskets as useful containers by thousands of years, they are believed to have originated in Africa. They arrived on other shores after floating on Ocean currents, cracking open and spreading their seeds. Perhaps this is why they are tied to the origin stories of so many cultures.

Creating art from a raw material that is so closely tied to the earth is a moving experience. My work with gourds is very labor intensive and little of the process can be performed with power tools. If the gourd is thick I may be inspired to imbed a sculpted face or piece of agate. A large crack might provide a place to weave date palm or sea grass. A particularly attractive surface may inspire my highly sanded and polished finish that is a particular favorite. ____ Lynne Bunt