​At the end of 2021 I took some much needed time off.  As the year came to a close, my commitments to finish special orders were completed, I opted to spend some time with my family, reading, playing music with my daughter, decorating, walking, and engaging in some “non-gourd” art pursuits. 

Several years ago my family and I visited Parker Dam State Park in Penfield, PA.  It is part of the region which is called the Pennsylvania Wilds, and we spend some time exploring the area of the Moshannon State Forest.  The big draw to this area is the elk herd in Benezette.  There were a few great viewing areas to see the elk and get photos.  And we even were able to hear the bull elk's eerie sounding bugle! 

I don't know why I waited so long to begin this gourd, as the photos were taken for this very purpose!  The bugling bull with his cow is on the one side, and as you turn the gourd you can see the rest of the herd with a few calves as well.  The "rival" bull elk waits alone, along with some wild turkeys and pheasants.  

another 2020 commission titled Curious Bunnies.  ​

This tall body gourd made the perfect shaped vase for this garden rabbit design.  The entire gourd is extensively burned with lots of flowers and rabbits on both sides.  The pyrography was left natural, with only the addition on blue color on the butterflies.

You may not remember, but you can look back at my January post for 2020.  Here I talked about the classes I was planning and I prefaced the post with "Do you have 2020 vision?".  Wow did we all have such ideas for the year only to have them change so dramatically.  

In these next few posts I would like to share with you some of the projects I was honored to work on.  Had my 2020 gone as planned,  there just would not have been time for them and I would have to turn these projects down.  In these I met and worked with some wonderful people and was able to make their ideas come to life in these works of art now in their collections.  

My latest gourd venture, a forest scene in pyrography and carved bottom.  I am posting the views as the gourd is turned.  Let's go for a little walk...