Garden of the Monarch
Garden themed gourd vase, featuring a monarch butterfly, zinnias, and ivy. Composed all around the gourd and completed in pyrography (wood burning) with a touch of colored pencil on the butterfly and the flower she is resting on. A border of variegated gold leaf frames the bottom, and the top is finished with red sea grass.
Measures 5 1/2" wide by 7 1/2" high.
This art is made from a real, natural gourd. Be sure to see the photo of a gourd growing in the garden before it is dried for artistic use. Once dried it will last as long as a piece of wood.
Care:
Please display away from direct sunlight. UV protectant sealer is applied to help prevent this, but it should be treated like any piece of valuable art. Not designed to hold water.
My process:
Each gourd is planned, researched, sketched, designed extensively before even beginning the piece.
To prepare, I clean and sand the gourd; the insides are coated with a protective layer of paint.
Then I freehand draw my original designs directly onto the gourd; then I use a woodburning pen to illustrate (pyrography) the image on the gourd.
I use mixed media to color the gourds.
For more information about the process of my art, visit this webpage.