CEIL ROSSI

I attended a gourd art festival in Fallbrook, California some 20 years ago and was surprised by the row upon row of raw gourds drying in wire crates. Being from New England, I had no idea what gourds were, except for the little multicolored squash gourds in the markets in the Fall. 

As I explored the gourd festival I saw raw gourds that were crafted into beautiful works of art or “Nature’s Pottery”. I was intrigued by the process of turning a raw gourd into a piece of fine art.

Gourds have a smooth buttery skin and it is like creating art on wood and a canvas at the same time. But, instead of being a flat surface, the gourd is a 3-Dimensional art form that can be carved, wood-burned and painted.

When I returned home to Carefree, Arizona with a few gourds in hand, I decided to pursue this new art form. The craft involved the use of assorted tools such as a wood burner, a dremel, saws and various ink dyes. In the past I loved refurbishing wooden articles, so this new art form was very exciting. 

I took lessons from the best gourd artists in the area and soon opened my own teaching studio, the Carefree Gourd Gallery.

My work can be seen in several galleries around Massachusetts and Connecticut. I have participated and won honors in several fine art shows.

In addition to exhibiting and teaching, I present a lecture called “From Field to Fine Art” on the history, art and culture of the gourd. I speak about the raw gourd from the pre-historic era to present day. This lecture has been enthusiastically accepted by garden and art clubs.