How did you first discover gourd art?
In 2001, I was intrigued by, and so took an Introductory Gourd Course given by Darienne and Ed McAuley at the Buckhorn Community Centre. I repeated the course the following summer, and this time was definitely hooked!
When did you begin making your own gourd creations & why?
After the second course, I attended Darienne and Ed’s “Come if you want, we’ll be here anyway” Fall Gourd Gathering at their home. I bought some gourds from Pam and Peter, and started slowly to work with them. Gourdfest the following summer offered many excellent courses. Gourds began to take over my life!
What types of things do you make with gourds? What influences or inspires your art?
I have been inspired by the local Petroglyphs. They lend themselves to the form of the gourds, and are a joy to recreate by carving with wood carving tools. I am also still experimenting with other techniques: burning, cutting, painting, using Gilder’s Paste. The shape and markings on the raw gourd determine how each gourd will be completed.
Tell a little about yourself:
Originally from Ontario, after finishing University my husband and I moved to Rae-Edzo, a native community north-west of Yellowknife, NWT. Teaching and a simple lifestyle, kept my family happily there for 13 years. We moved back to Ontario in 1990, where I taught Kindergarten for 17 years. Recently retired, I can now devote more time to gourds. We have 2 daughters who now have “flown the nest”, and a son who lives at home, attending high school. In addition to gourds, I enjoy many other creative outlets, some of which are tatting, beading, knitting, and sewing.
