Gourds grow on vines and harden over winter to a hard, wood-like texture.
They have been used by native peoples all over the world for many purposes,
including water-carriers and rattles. They are also a popular medium for
many kinds of artists, including Native American, American folk, and modern.
My art gourds range in size from tiny to huge. They are grown on my parents' farm in rural central Kentucky, and I clean them, burn my designs into them with a woodburner, paint them, and varnish them with some kind of protectant if I've used a water-based stain or paint or if they'll be exposed to the elements (like a birdhouse).
My Cherokee gourds often incorporate traditional
designs, symbols, or motifs. Most also have some writing on them in the Tsalagi
language (using Sequoya's Syllabary), whether it is simply "Tsalagi" or a
longer message. Several tell traditional stories and myths in pictures and words,
like "Grandmother
Spider and the Sun". Many are more personal, mixing traditional designs
or motifs with other kinds of images. One example of this is
"People of Today"
, which illustrates the quote by Chief Mankiller at the top of this page.
I do many other kinds of designs as well, including nature scenes, rural scenes, green man, seasonal, butterfly, horses, cats, and other animals, celestial (sun and/or moon), grape and vine, harves/autumn leaves, flowers, and American Indian designs other than Cherokee. I also personalize gourds and take requests, so if you don't see what you're looking for, please email me.
Please take a look around and enjoy your visit. I will always try to be adding more gourds and pictures. If you would like to own one of my gourds or gourd items, please see my Order Information page. And let me know if I can help you with something.
