I decided to make a pair of bowls from it by cutting it in half, then sanding the inside smooth, and then drawing on designs that I wood burned in, then used leather dyes to color.
This is the first of the two bowls, wood burned and leather dye colored both inside and outside.
The bowl is 9 inches across and is 3/8 inches thick.
Click on photographs to enlarge for a better view.
Inside view
Outside view
5 comments:
It's beautiful! Also quite amazing to me how big it is! How long do you leave the gourds to dry before you start working on them?
Gourds can take from 2-6 months to dry..depending on the thickness and size of the gourd...also one must have air circulating around the gourd...is why I place them on wood pallets and leave them in the field to dry.
The outer waxlike skin sluffs off as it dries through the hard outer layer of the gourd...also mold and mildew develope on that surface..giving it character as well a patterns in color...unless you keep constantly scraping off the skin that is peeling off and wipping down with bleach and water and drying it.
You can wait till it is completly dry..then scrub off the mold and mildew with bleach and water mix as I do with a stainless steel pot scrubber.
that is peeling off and wipping down with bleach and water and drying it.
Work From Home
Thank you, that's really helpful. I might give it a try - although gourds available here are very small, and in any case my completed article wouldn't have anything near the artistry of yours!
Janice.
That's beautiful - not sure I would have the patience to wait 6 months before starting something! Was worth the wait xo
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