My sweethearts keeping me company in the studio. Actually it's a miracle I get anything done.
I've worked in oils, watercolors, and pen/ink; but after starting pyrography just love the combination of lines, shading, and texturizing that can be done on these wonderfully versatile gourds. Add carving, and sawing, and sanding and using power tools, and Wow! what could be more fun?
The utilitarian value of hard shelled gourds is obvious; but I am also intrigued by their shapes, colors, and sizes. The gourd's natural attributes guide me in choosing the design that I will work on.
Foremost, I start with the best, clear, large, unblemished gourds that I can find.
The work starts with only a kernel of an idea about how the gourd should be enhanced. By the time I am done with the cleaning, sawing, shaping and all the other "dirty work" - I have decided on a design for the gourd.
In the Workshop doing some "dirty" work with
the carver - it's certainly not glamorous!
Hi y'all and welcome to my website. Thanks for visiting.
My name is Sandy Taylor.
Hot Off the Vine - Gourd Art Vessels
are my creations. With a college background in art and art history, working as an artist full-time has been a life long dream. In addition to a long professional career in administration and sales, I have been a floral designer, a home decorator, jewelry maker, and pursued many other creative avenues. After retiring I needed something new to keep me busy.
Making beaded jewelry just wasn't enough challenge; so following some experimentation with pyrography (wood burning) I began my obsession with gourds.
In fact, my husband bought me a gourd to play with and I worked on the first one for weeks. It was so much fun to do.........
BUT then a friend said the fatal words
"you should sell these" - and well, the entrepreneur in me had to give it a try. You can see the rest of the story. I completed more than 80 gourds in the first ten months of Hot Off the Vine being born.
And now - it's a full-time obsession!
All she thinks about is gourds!!!
Meooow -
just when do I get FED?
My music playlist is at the bottom of each page. You can choose your
favorite or turn down your speakers.
Sassafras McKat
Rocketman
