Grace holding large carved, burned and dyed gourd "Ocean Fantasy"
I am a watercolor and acrylic artist but have recently discovered the world of gourds.
I love every facet of this new (to me) art form — from the cleaning, to burning, to sanding, to dying — you name it.
It is a great challenge to be working in 3-D instead of 2-D.
My interest in gourds was sparked by a one-day workshop that I took at San Diego Botanic Garden. I knew about gourds from my childhood in Nigeria, where the people use gourds for everything, from spoons to bowls and for storage.
I purchase my gourds uncleaned and uncut from Welburn Gourd Farm
I am a member of the San Diego County Gourd Artists and the California Gourd Society
Grace and brother Paul in Nigeria with hand-fulls of gourds
This photo was taken in Nigeria by my father