Gourd artist Kate Shoemaker gave a wonderful talk on her uncommon art form for our April 25, 2023 meeting that had us all considering taking on this new medium!
Kate finds that the most exciting element of creating gourd art is the unique characteristics of each gourd—she is never quite sure what a piece will become, until it is complete! Kate loves to use deep, rich colors to enhance the natural beauty of each gourd and continues to experiment with new forms, techniques and finishes.
Kate passed around several pieces of her finished work as well as the most unusual items she repurposes by incorporating into her art—things like zippers, pine needles, beads, and leather. The process of transforming a dirty gourd into a piece of art is labor intensive. Even more fascinating is the amount of thought and detail that Kate puts into each piece to further emphasize each gourd’s distinct qualities.
You could feel Kate’s enthusiasm for the art form and she would love to mentor anyone willing to give gourd art a try!
