Gourd Artist, Diana Barnett
Currently Diana is not doing Gourd Art anymore because of health problems, but we are preserving this web site for those of you who may have a desire to pusue Gourd Art.
Diana lives on a small farm in Del Rio, TN, and has worked in many different arts and crafts mediums. She found her "niche" several years ago after seeing a Gourd Art demonstration on tv. After making her first one, she was "hooked" and has been absorbed in it ever since. She is self-taught, learning through trial and error. She enjoys planting the seeds, watching them grow, and then turning them into a work of art for others to enjoy in their own homes and/or offices.
Gourd Art is very time-consuming. The gourd must first be "dried-out" and then scrubbed thoroughly. A decision is then made to cut off the top or not. If it is cut, the inside is cleaned out, scrubbed, sanded, and painted with an acrylic creating a "leathery" look. The designs are drawn on the gourd with a pencil, and then a wood-burning tool and a Dremel® carving tool are used to give depth and dimension. Watercolors and Acrylic paints are added if color is desired. It is finished with a coat of polyurethane to seal it and to give it a shine and durability. Diana signs and dates each gourd on the bottom, making it a collectible item.
Some special orders Diana has filled include:
- Wedding gifts with the names of the Bride and Groom and Wedding Date
- Gifts for football fans with emblems of favorite teams: college, high school, professional;
- Birthday and Aniversary gifts;
- Auction fundraiser - it brought $600.00!
Please click on each picture below for more details.
