Art by Nedra Denison & Sawdust Connection, LLC

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I started dabbling in gourd art while living in Texas many years ago but didn't get serious about working with gourds until retiring from my day job.  Sometimes I use pyrography by itself but most of the time I combine pyrography with other mediums such as acrylic-based paints, gourd ink dyes. shimmer, metallic glazes, etc.  I enjoy experimenting with leather, natural fiber, beads, feathers and other embellishments. 

Many of the gourds I did while living in Texas were pre-digital camera and I was unable to get good copies to post them on our website so most of the gourds seen here are brand new.

Since moving to New Mexico I have been "broadening my horizons" which now also includes growing gourds. 

I am fortunate to have spent a life of traveling, either for work or for pleasure but I never leave home without a camera. Most of the gourd designs are inspired by places I've been and places I've lived, past or present.  Most gourds start out with just an idea and evolve as I work on them.  I might start with an idea, start working on it and change the overall design in midstream because I had a "brain fart".  I never quite know what will happen until it happens!  I guess that's called artistic temperament.

Now that I am retired and have a bit more time on my hands I have backed off on teaching a bit and gotten in to what I really love...actually doing the art rather than teaching it!

I am a member of the American Gourd Society, New Mexico Gourd Society, Arizona Gourd Society and the Texas Gourd Society.

Here are some of my recent gourd designs. 

Please check out my unique gourd ornaments

"Santa Fe Steps"

This bowl was inspired by many of the recurring themes throughout New Mexico.  The "step" design was carved and the inside of the bowl was painted black.  The body of the gourd was colored with ink dyes.  The feathers were burned then painted and shimmer added for accent.  The southwest design around the middle of the gourd was burned and then colored with shimmer. Sealed with a satin finish.  Signed by the artist.

Measures approx 11" diameter x 7" high

These are photos of the gourd burned but without any color added yet

These are photos of the gourd finished

"Sunrise over the Monzano's"

This gourd was inspired by the Monzano mountains which I get to look at every day...that is until someone builds on the lot next to us.  This gourd was carved to create depth in the mountains and then colored with gourd ink dyes

Signed by the artist.

Measures approx 7 1/2" diameter x 6" high

"Fall Foliage"

Done on a Kettle gourd

I grew up in New England and just about the best thing you can say about it is the wonderful Fall Foliage.  When I was growing up every year at the beginning of October, we, like most New Englanders would head out to the country on the weekends to enjoy the quiet bliss of the small country roads and wonderful colors of the trees.  Pretty soon others found out about our little secret and the small country roads would be filled with cars coming to enjoy the amazing colors of fall in New England.  This gourd was inspired by my childhood memories back home.  Sealed with a satin finish. 

Signed by the artist.

Measures approx 8" diameter x 10" high

"Inlay"

This gourd is carved and embellished with Inlace Inlay

Signed by the artist.

"The Ancients"

These were a design as you go!  Each set of "ancients" evolved as I worked.  I had the overall idea in my mind but created the individual robes as I worked.

The background is done using pure pigments and paint to create a warm mahogany and a sheer metallic bronze glaze was over the paint. The "ancients" were done using a variety of medium including ink dyes, both regular and metallic, a variety of opulence colors for added shimmer and pure pigments mixed with paint to create a custom palette of colors. It is trimmed with suede leather, beads and feathers. Signed by the artist.

Measures approx 9" high

"Simply Gourdeous"

I had the pleasure of taking a class with Maria Dellos and this design was the class project.  Due to the class being outdoors and high winds I was unable to do the majority of this project in class.  So armed with the opulence and all the embellishments I headed home to finish this project on my own. 

The top of the gourd is capped with a cork that has been painted with emerald opulence (shimmer).  It is enhanced with copper wire and fiber around the neck with a coordinating bead.  The body of the gourd is colored with ink dye, gold and emerald opulence and embellished with fiber art and brass tacks. 

Signed by the artist.

Measures approx 7" high

"Echo Gecko"

The bowl was carved and the inside thoroughly cleaned and then painted black.  The background of the bowl is sponge painted in layers using six different colors of metallic gel glazes. The gecko's were then hand-painted with black gourd ink dye and then the colors were added using opulence (shimmer opaque) in a variety of colors.  Metallic in the glazes and opulence do not show up as well in photos as they do in person.  Sealed with a satin finish. 

Signed by the artist.

Measures approx 7 1/2" diameter x 6" high

Arrowhead Gourd

Sponge painted with lightfast gourd ink dyes blended together.  The top of the gourd is woven with sea grass, wrapped with artificial sinew and adorned with an stone arrowhead.  The gourd is sealed with a matte finish.  Signed by the artist.

Measures approx 9" diameter x 6 1/2" high

Petroglyph Gourd

Original design based on photos I recently took during visits to El Morrow and the Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico.

Pyrography with no color added, trimmed with pig skin, leather lacing and pony bead accents.  Sealed with a matte finish.  Signed by the artist.

Measures approx 7" diameter x 3 ^3/4" high

"Southwest Steps"

mini gourd

Original design

Carved, burned and painted with acrylic paints.  

Signed by the artist

Measures approximately 3" tall

Mimbres Bowl Gourd

Original design of New Mexico mimbres style designs

Pyrography and sealed with a matte finish.

Signed by the artist

SOLD

Santa Gourd

Large kettle-shaped gourd painted with acrylics and sealed with a semi-gloss finish.

Signed by the artist

SOLD