Making art from gourds is a beautiful art form in Hawaii. On the Big Island on the Kona Coast I met a lovely artist by the name of Winnie Logan who is a gourd artist.

Gourds as art

When I saw these gourds I forgot that they were made of actual gourds, they look so much like handmade pottery. In fact these art pieces are squash that grow in the ground! The finished carvings looks so pristine it was easy to forget that getting to this point is a long process. Nature takes her own sweet time you know. One has to first grow a gourd, before turning them into works of art.

From Seed to Art

It takes more than nine months from seed to art to create these beautiful gourd art pieces. It takes six months to grow the gourds from seed, and once mature, the decorating process can take on average two to three months. Nine months to create a beautifully carved gourd from seed to art.

The process

The first phase is carving the design on the gourd after which the coffee dyeing stage begins. This can take three to five weeks to complete. Next is the drying phase which takes an additional 1-3 weeks depending on factors such as air temperature, humidity, gourd thickness, shape and size. The final step involves applying the coats of finish inside and outside the gourd that eventually result in a beautifully carved art piece.

Kona Coast labor of love

These carved gourds are a labor of love for Winnie. She gets inspiration from the Kona coast where she resides. Its fauna, flora, ocean, and wildlife are all subjects she incorporates into her works of art.

For more information on Winnie and her gourd art take a look at this link. Hand carved gourds by Winnie Logan on the Kona Coast, Big Island, Hawaii