Arts Prescott Cooperative Gallery is proud to introduce their newest addition to the gallery...Maureen Hawthorn.
Maureen writes, "Fresh from the vine, hard shell gourds are 90% water. After drying for about one year, gourds are as durable as wood. During the drying process the gourds develop a thick coast of mold and mildew, which requires a lot of elbow-grease to remove".
Here in just one of Maureen's Gourd Pendants. These small treasures are a must see at the gallery.
Maureen continues, "An Ex-acto knife or mini jigsaw is used to cut the gourd open to create either a lid or open-work. Now the seed and lining can be removed with a sturdy scraper and finishing with sandpaper. A gourd's shape and size determines its transformation. The amount of time to layout a design depends upon the size of the gourd and the intricacy of the design. I then burn the design into the gourd with a wood-burning tip, otherwise know as pyrography. Next I paint thin layers of color and then gradually build subsequent layers of paint, pigments or dyes until I achieve the desired color density over the design areas of the surface".
Here is a close up of one of the gourd ornaments on Maureen Hawthorn's Ornament tree pictured above.
Maureen uses embellishing techniques such as teneriffe weaving with Irish Waxed Linen in the cut-out area of her gourds. Some of the gourd rims have pine needle weaving and others bead work, leather or even feathers.
Drop by Arts Prescott Cooperative Gallery, daily 10AM to 6PM and see Maureen Hawthorns Gourd Art.