I take raw gourds from the farmer's field and bring them to life!

Artist Statement

I developed a love for gourd art some forty years ago. I purchased a raw gourd at a craft store and after much time spent cleaning and preparing the gourd, I sketched a design and voila my first gourd creation was born. It was a simple birdhouse with a creative design that brought out faces hidden behind leaves. However, my interest in gourds had to take a back seat to my full-time career as a registered nurse and mother of five children.

I retired to Southern Arizona in 2002 and decided to pursue my passion of creating gourd art. After creating just a few pieces, I was encouraged by my friends and family. I use various mediums including coiling, teneriffe, wood burning, acrylic paints and various forms of carving. I’m always eager to incorporate various mediums in my individual creations.

My pieces are heavily influenced by Southwestern designs as I grew up in the Southwest and have always maintained a fondness for Southwestern motif. I have been inspired by nationally renowned gourd artists and authors Bonnie Gibson of Tucson, Arizona and Robert Rivera of Santa Fe, New Mexico. I have received training from both Bonnie and Robert on various mediums as they relate to gourd art. I was thrilled when one of my pieces received a first-place award at the long standing Wuertz Gourd Festival held annually in Casa Grande, Arizona. In addition to being a member of the Southern Arizona Arts Guild (SAAG), I am a member of the American Gourd Society; Arizona Gourd Society, and Tucson’s Old Pueblo Gourd Patch. A compilation of my work can be viewed on my website at www.gourdsbyvargas.com .