Gourd Art Workshops

Posted by: Grace Swanson

The San Diego County Gourd Artists present one-day workshops for gourd artists.
Go to sandiegocountygourdpatch.com for a complete description of all the classes offered.

Gourd art involves creating works of art using hard-shell gourds as an art medium. Gourd surfaces may be carved, painted, sanded, burned, dyed, and polished.

Gourd decoration, including pyrography, is an ancient tradition in Africa and Asia as well as among the indigenous peoples of the Americas, Gourd crafting and painting has evolved from early hand carvings to the modern day use, by some, of electric wood burners and high-speed pen-shaped rotary tools that can be used to inscribe almost any design.

A wide variety of gourd shapes and sizes yields an array of art pieces, including: ornaments, bowls, sculpture, vases, and wall art such as masks. No longer considered just a craft, gourd art is being elevated to the point where it has been featured in a number of galleries and magazines.