Gourd Art by Helene C'de Baca

Welcome

I am enjoying experimenting with gourd art, one of my interests. To find out more about me and my oil, acrylic, and watercolor art, please view my blog at http://www.helenecdebaca.blogspot.com/.

My gourd art and paintings are at the following galleries:

Hyatt Regency Galeria Tamaya, Santa Ana, NM

The Range Cafe and Gallery, Bernalillo, NM

Southwest Roundup Gallery, San Juan Bautista, CA

Although I have been working on oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings, gourds are the most recent manifestation of my interest in artistic pursuits. Gourds are ideal for use in exploring multiple mediums, new directions, and challenges in art. They are a unique, wholly natural product that I carve, burn, paint, and embellish. Working on gourds gives me the freedom to create my own “pottery” using natural materials including pine needle coiling, stone inlay, feathers, copper wire and other embellishments.

I taught myself the basics of working with gourds and through time, patience, and practice, have created an eclectic collection of themes and designs. Inspiration comes largely from the creative expression of the Puebloan people, prehistoric cultures, and petroglyphs from my surroundings in New Mexico where I was born and raised. While gourds are not exclusive to the Southwest, there is a connection between region and craft, the desert landscape, nature, wildlife, primitive iconology, Native cultures.

I enjoy connecting to something primitive and ancient in the earth. With gourds I can take a simple, organic material and through the use of pyrography, paint, carving, and embellishment, transform it into an art form that falls somewhere between painting, sculpture, and pottery.

Gourd Art by Helene C'de Baca

Saturday, December 3, 2011

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