Artist Uses Gourds As Her Canvas

Artist Uses Gourds As Her Canvas FARM HOME Miscellaneous “Gourds to me are like people No two are alike and there’s no such thing as an ugly gourd ” says Liduina Fedewa “You can paint them with all types of paint carve into them for a 3D effect and even attach artificial clays They are so forgiving; there’s no blueprint ” She proves how versatile gourds can be with the artistic pieces she creates and sells at Michigan craft shows And she enthusiastically educates gardeners who want to create something with gourds they have grown After gourds are finished growing in the fall she stores them in her barn so that they aren’t touching and turns them occasionally during the winter Around March they are lighter in weight and dry seeds rattle inside The gourds are ready to be cleaned Fedewa likes to take them outside place them in a large tub and thoroughly wash them with Dawn dish soap and a scrubby to remove the waxy surface Once dry they are ready to paint with everything from magic markers to oils acrylics and even glitter paint The last step is to seal with polyurethane Or they can be adorned with yarns and fibers Fedewa often weaves colorful designs to fill in holes or imperfections on the gourd For Fedewa who is also a woodcarver gourds have become her favorite carving media Gourds become bowls vases jewelry and catchall boxes She emphasizes safety when cutting into any gourd because the dust is fine and often contains mold “Wear a mask or respirator and use a dust collector or fan You don’t want to inhale the dust ” she warns To clean out a gourd’s interior she uses a cordless drill with a long shaft and a stainless steel scouring pad on the end to loosen up the fiber After removing the fiber bits she sands the inside smooth with a rotary tool The rotary tool with a flexible head is also what Fedewa uses to carve her designs She starts by drawing a pattern on paper making a stencil and then drawing it in pencil on the gourd One of her most complicated pieces is a carousel with colorful animals circling the gourd She also makes flowers butterflies and intricate lace patterns At craft shows customers like the jewelry and catchall boxes that are lined and decorated with costume jewelry gems The boxes can be customized with the customer’s jewelry pieces to remember a loved one Others ask Fedewa to carve a lace pattern from a wedding invitation to create a small box for a gift When gourds have naturally beautiful markings from the way they dried she prefers to lightly stain or just seal them with polyurethane Besides selling at craft shows Fedewa’s Facebook page shows samples of her work and she accepts requests for custom orders With her work Fedewa hopes to inspire others to get creative Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Liduina Fedewa 15302 W Colony Rd Pewamo Mich 48873 ph 989 640-3551; liduinamaf@gmail com; Facebook: Liduina Fedewa Studio

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