Viddler

Art constantly amazes me in ways I’ve learned to expect. Yes, the weird, the clever, the traditional and everything in between. That phone number you wrote down on a coffee-stained napkin; someone would consider that art.

When I discovered gourd art I was intrigued. My knowledge of gourds extends about as far as the word. Gourd. Goooooorrrd. It’s fun to pronounce. If you also don’t know much about gourds, then here’s some quick facts:

• Gourds are in the same family as pumpkins; hollow inside with a tough outside shell.
• Gourds are a product of the plant species Lagenaria siceraria — which can be harvested young for the fruit or when the it is mature, ala a gourd.
• Gourds were the earliest plant species to be cultivated by humans. They were used as containers before stone and clay pottery replaced them. The earliest use of gourds was found to be in Africa.
• Cutting open the shell of a gourd can be hazardous because when it is mature and dry it is like wood, and the fine dust that occurs during the cutting process can cause respiratory issues for some people.

So now you’re hip on gourds. Hip, indeed. Considering you can turn them in to pieces of art. (In case you missed the memo: Art is hip.) Remember, they’re similar to wood. Think of all the wood products/art you have in your home. Now imagine if you made that from a gourd. Okay, so a table might be a bit more trouble than it’s worth, but you follow me drift.

Gourd art is quite a good business and creative art form. There are gourd farms all over the United States and many other countries. The Welburn Gourd Farm (subscribe) in California is the largest organic gourd farm in the USA. They don’t just harvest and sell gourds though. They have all kinds of gourd related products. They have tools for cleaning gourds, cutting gourds, dying gourds, and tons more.

The artistic dying of the gourds is what excited me, and the video below shows the process of how to artistically dye your gourd in the best way.

There’s a gourd art festival which has been occurring annually for over 14 years. Find out more here.

Have you ever made any gourd art? Leave your comments below.

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