My Gourds

                                                                                                                                                

I started by drawing a circle in my 'birdhouse', and cutting it out with an xacto knife. I wanted the cacti on my birdhouse, so drew them first on pieces of paper to make sure I could do it. And these are views of my finished birdhouse!

T and I went to the "Gourd Farm" and I bought some small gourds to practice on. I covered them with wet potting soil for two days to remove the 'skins'. I didn't know gourds HAD skins!

This was the first one I 'finished'.

I did wood burning on it and then stained and sprayed it. And then I drew on these two below and painted them. The one on the left is for a little cactus plant, and the one on the right is for my girlfriend here in the RV park. She loves cardinals and quail, so I drew them for her. She taught me how to listen for the cardinal - and identify him before I see him!

Front

Back

And then I made one for T - with his favorite bird on the front and a 'note' written on the back.

You can't see it in this picture, but the towhee has red eyes.                                 

I'm through with birds and cactus for awhile. Now I'm going to make my sister, Caryl, the birdhouse she ordered. With flowers on it. And I'm going to make me a bowl. I'm having fun with this!

Comments

[Dave]

Jackie they look great, very professional. Will you be thre long enough to see if the birds use them?

[SilverNeurotic]

They're great looking!

[Jackie]

Silver - thanks!

Dave - thank you. But I'm afraid they look pretty amateur-ish right now. Give me another year, though, and I'll make some treasures!

[Creekhiker]

Jackie, Thanks for sharing your pics.

Yes, the gourds do have a skin and that mold is toxic so be careful. I wash them in a bucket with a tiny amount of bleach in the water. I hadn't heard of the dirt method before...

I think yours are quite lovely!

Holly

[Kat]

I don't think they look amateurish at all! These are great Jackie!

[Nessa]

I think they look great, not at all ameturish. Wonderful.

[Jackie]

Holly - thanks. The gourd farm was just expermenting with covering the gourds in wet potting soil. Worked better for me because I couldn't find anything to weight them down.

Kat & Nessa - thank you. You are both really sweet.
I'm not where I want to be on them, but am sure having fun.

[Quilldancer]

These are gorgeous! I told you yours would look fantastic!

[Jenn]

Jackie, they look beautiful, bountiful, pregnant with purpose.

[Alison]

Those look great! I imagine a happy bird saying, "This, this is exactly what I've been looking for," before moving right in!

[Quilldancer]

Mail arrived -- thanks -- see my blog!

[Jackie]

Quilly-Sister, you might be a little biased! :-)
Saw your blog - you're welcome!

Jenn, I LOVE the way you use words. I smiled reading your comment - and wished I knew you in 'real' life!

Alison, I'm putting this birdhouse out with mealy worms, and left the perch off, so am hopeful I'll get bluebirds!

[Chana]

these are just beautiful Jackie! another talent yet!
i'm sure the pics don't do them justice and they have taken my breath away. i don't think i have seen this before and i love it..

glad you are having fun and keeping busy. thank you for the prayers, love and friendship.

love you back many folds.

[Alison]

Commenting again but just went with my niece to the feed store - odd but we do have one in the neighborhood - and she saw a gourd birdhouse and fell in love with it. Yours was much nicer though. We both liked the natural element of the house as opposed to a house designed like human houses.

[Tom]

Gourd farming is hard work. I remember running gourds across the great plains with my grandpa. Sometimes the wolves would come in packs and take some of the weaker gourds. It used to scare me to hear their howling at night and we'd keep the fire lit all night long. I would get sad about some of the gourds that would be taken by the wolves and coyotes but grandpa used to tell me that it was just nature's way of keeping the herd strong.

Ahh, the memories...

[Jackie]

Chana, thank you! But if you think these are nice - you should go to a gourd festival some day. I was blown away by the unusual talent.

Alison, I love birdhouses, and tend to like the rustic and natural ones a little more, as well. Hope your neice got the birdhouse she loved. And you should have one, too! Bird watching is restful. Of course, come to think about it - your constant 4 legged companion would probably keep most of the birds away! :-)

Tom, I really don't know if you should be allowed to play with Gawpo (even under the disguise of taking care of Cindra). It's plain to see here - his influence on you!

[Brooke]

Those are beautiful, mama. You're so talented! Now when do I get one in the mail?

[Jackie]

Brookie - I'm working on a bowl, Auntie Caryl's birdhouse, and a bird bath right now - but you're next!! xoxoxo

[Janet]

Jackie, you're so talented! I'm jealous.

[Jackie]

Janet, thanks but there is nothing to envy. It isn't talent...I just like playing around with making things, and I keep practicing.

[Rain]

those are beautiful. I have seen gourds already made into vases or whatever but never really thought how they were created by the artist. Lovely

[Jackie]

Rain - it's pretty time consuming to clean the darn things. Outside and inside. But then you get the fun part. I don't think I ever saw gourds used as art, before seeing them down here.

[*jeanne*]

Those are WONDERFUL! And you just learned to do this?

I'm impressed! :-)

[Jackie]

Jeanne, yes, I'm learning. And liking it. But taking a little break now - until I heal from my 'x-acto' knife incident! :-)