Gourds Gone Wild

Carolann Evans paints and sells a variety of gourds which she grows in her garden. Evans, who studied fine arts, creates some very unique pieces which include bowls, musical instruments and jewelry. Paul Litman

Woman finds creative outlet in growing, painting gourds

BY SUMMER STAIR

It may be a little out of the ordinary, but for Carolann Evans of Longmont, painting gourds is one of her favorite ways to pass the time.

“It keeps me out of the pool halls,” she says with a laugh. “If I could spend all day, every day doing it, I would. It’s amazing I go to my day job.”

Painting gourds wasn’t something Evans always thought she would do, she just happened to stumble upon it. Six years ago, after planting ornamental gourds and pumpkins for a friends and family festival, her husband told her to do something with those that were left. And that’s just what she did.

With an affinity for crafts and a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Evans picked up a book on gourds and that’s all it took for her to become hooked.

But what really struck Evans about the process was that she could grow the gourds from seed (Evans is also a master gardener), take them through the drying and cleaning process and then turn them into pieces of art. “It all marries together, it’s perfect,” she says. “It’s become such a passion of mine.”

So whether it’s an apple, birdhouse, dipper, kettle, miniature pear, tobacco box, canteen, bushel or Chinese bottle gourd, Evans has tried every variety imaginable and found a purpose for each. Through her side business, Gourds Gone Wild, Evans has made anything from what looks like a real apple to buttons, pins , barrettes and birdhouses. But her favorite pieces are bowls that come in all shapes and sizes and African shekarias, which are musical percussion instruments.

While African themes remain a favorite of hers due to the shapes, colors and detail offered, it is really the process that keeps it interesting.

The challenge of the nine-month growing and drying process begins by starting seeds indoors due to Colorado’s short growing season. Evans also finds herself having to help the gourds pollinate themselves (there are boy and girl flowers) just to be sure they yield. From there it is the upkeep of the garden that keeps her busy. The gourds remain on the plants until they die out, which is usually some time in November, and then the gourds are removed and put somewhere to dry, usually on palettes so they have good air flow all around.

Evans dries the gourds outside, because through the process they mold. “Every one (gourd) is different, and it is the patterns created by the mold that gives each one its own identity,” she explains.

Once the gourds are dried, they are soaked in water overnight and then scrubbed down with a copper kitchen scrubber. As the mold is scrubbed off, the patterns on the natural gourd can be seen. Each gourd will have its own unique pattern and look. It then takes another six-to-eight months for the gourd to cure on its own, Evans says.

Once the gourds are ready to be worked on, Evans decides what form it will take, and if that is a pattern or design, she draws it on before burning it in with a wood burning tool. The wood burning is helpful to keep the colors, which will eventually be applied, separate.

Once the wood burning is done, Evans applies the color with ink dyes. Ink dyes are her preference because they are translucent and allow for the natural patterns to show through and are also used because the colors fade much less than with other products. After the paint is dried, Evans then adds other mediums to embellish the pieces, often weaving pine needles or palm fronds on the rim, or beading the rim with seeds beads, feathers or llama fibers.

“The possibilities are endless. I don’t ever get bored because there are so many different mediums that can be used,” Evans says.

While Evans will take custom orders, she finds herself drawn to African-theme pieces because through her research, she has found that they mean something more than just being pretty. “African mud cloth patterns are definitely my favorite – the patterns and colors have different meanings, which I find fascinating.” Peruvian patterns hold a special fascination for Evans, as well.

As the ideas and different mediums keep evolving for Evans, she hopes to grow her business into being more than just a hobby and to some day offer classes, but for now with a full-time job, she has to keep her passion minimal.

“I just love the diversity and the ideas – I have them constantly,” she says.