Jenn's Gourd Art Blog |
Some New Work3/4/2022 ![]() The past few weeks have been productive for me. I am working on recording online courses, and finished up a few gourds, as well as some "non-gourd" artworks that I will share in another post. The first was more of an opportunity for me to try out new carving burs that I received at Christmas, as well as trying out a weaving technique that has long intrigued me but I never gave it a go. At left see a photo of my testing my new cup carving burs on an old gourd piece.
2 Comments
Preening Macaw Gourd2/10/2022 ![]() After taking some time off at Christmas, I found it difficult to get back into a routine. There was just so much to do that was demanding time away from art, and instead of working every day, it seemed was only able to devote one or two days to art while the rest was... well all other stuff!! I felt like I was trudging uphill and every day that started out in the clear, turned out the Lord had other plans for me! These last couple of weeks I seem to have found my legs again and have been able to balance everything better. I started this Macaw gourd at the end of October, got it most of the way done and only finished it up just now. I had wanted to work on a parrot for a while, I had taken some photos of some beautiful parrots at the Lake Tobias Wildlife park a few years ago that I was planning to use as reference. Unfortunately, since the photos were taken through a glass window, they didn't turn out all that great. I did, however find a nice shot on Unsplash (which is copyright free) that captured the macaw preening that I liked a lot. 7 Tips for a Successful Art Commission1/20/2022
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.
Elephant Family9/1/2021 Elephants have long fascinated me. The tight familiar bonds, high intelligence, ways of communicating with one another, and the apparent displays of emotions in these gentle giants make me in awe of the God who made them. An elephant gourd has been in my mind to make for years but I wanted not just to feature one of these animals but a whole herd.
The Monarch of the Golden Fields4/6/2021 ![]() 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. What puts us in creative ruts? All of us go through at one point or another, that blankness, feeling like you may never have another creative idea again, actually was I ever really a "real artist" in the first place? Who am I kidding? Do you ever have these thoughts that just drag you down? You are not alone!
Let's go through 5 things that may be Kryptonite to the creative person, it could be one or a combination of them that halts us in our creative tracks and cause us to feel dried up. But take heart! There are solutions, think of them as your own Superpower to beat down that beast! A Closer Look at...1/13/2021 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.
About me...Art has always been a part of my life, and I have worked in many different mediums. Archives
July 2024
Categories |