Artist statement:

"For as long as I can remember I have been making art.  My earliest memories are of painting on leftover wood pieces from my fathers work shop and making pottery out of the clay I had dug from our road side ditches.  Coming from an artistic family I was always encouraged to draw and to be creative with what ever I could find. 

While I still draw and paint, most of this is now done on gourds.  Expressing myself through my art has become very fulfilling as well as therapeutic.  My ideas flow freely as each gourd is unique which helps inspire creativity in my work.  Sometimes I have a specific idea of what I want to do and I search for a gourd that will suit my needs.  But more often than not I see the gourd first and my creativity is directed by its specific shape and/or size. 

One of the things I love best about gourds is that they come from the earth.  So with just basic tools, dyes, and paints I can create three dimensional pieces with few artistic limitations.  Though gourd art has become my passion, I also enjoy working on woodcuts, collages, and found object art.  The inspiration for most of my gourd art comes from my yearly trips to Mexico along with my love for the Mexican people.  I hope you enjoy my gourd pieces as much as I enjoy creating them.

For most of the gourds, I use pyrography, leather dyes and acrylics."

Lois (louie) Stensvad 

 

Click on image to enlarge

                                       
"The Exquisite Pear"                 "Celtic Penny Pot"                    "The Mighty Oak"
SOLD                                                  $65.00                                               $245.00

 

                                          
"Summer Magnolia"                   "Oak Leaf Bowl"                       "Harmony"
$65.00                                                $90.00                                                  $156.00