Once in awhile shopping leads to an unexpected discovery. This happened to me recently. I discovered beautiful, folk art gourds at gallery 30 in Gettysburg, PA. The shop was filled with gift items, many types of handcrafted treasures and a whole section of folk art, handcrafted gourds which I was pleased to find as I slowly made my way through the shop looking at the wonderful selection of other handcrafted items.
I had noticed a few gourds in the window display and a few decorative gourds strewn throughout the shop. It wasn’t until I reached to back of the shop that I realized how many decorative gourds were displayed. When I entered the area in the rear of the shop I was delighted to see decorative gourds for all seasons. Many of the gourds were carved with small openings which glowed with light streaming from within. The first glance into this area was not only welcoming but beaconing. I was drawn into this sort of fantasy arena where all seasons were present. As I glanced from left to right around the walls I saw gourds decorated for autumn, Halloween, spring, Easter, summer, winter, and Christmas.
Decorative Seasonal Items
I was fascinated by the light streaming from the eyes of the black cats which would not only be perfect for Halloween decorations but just as well as a folk art decoration for anyone who loves cats. The Easter bunny gourds made me smile. The snowmen gourds looked like they should be outside but the light within them made them warmer. I was impressed by the variety of design and color. How could these all be gourds I wondered?
Outdoor Garden Items
Outside the door of this display was a pole with gourd birdhouses. They were not the usual gourd birdhouses so oftentimes seen. These gourds were finished with a stain that was transparent and almost emitted a light or shine from beneath the finish. The colors of these birdhouses made them exceptional. They would be a decorative addition to any landscape, garden or patio.
Useful and Decorative Home Items
I retraced my tracks and looked again in the shop area at the gourds on the display shelves. One shelf area held gourds cut so that they formed a very deep bowl. They were finished with pastel stains as well as some with jewel tone stains. They would be great for both decorative and storage use.
The Artist
I asked about the artist who designed and decorated these very creative works. I was not given a name but was told that they were created by the son of a local farmer. He began with a few decorative gourds and the designs and finishes increased as sales grew.
The artist that created these decorative gourds has perfected a very unusual finish as well as many creative designs. The folk art appearance of many of the designs would fit into any colonial or folk art home decorative theme. Other designs would work well in many other, more contemporary, design schemes. The large pear design would even look great in a modern design setting. These gourds are truly works of art.
gallery 30
30 York Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325 www.gallery30.com phone: 717-334-0335
