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Nov 15th (4:30 pm - 7:30 pm)
Join us for a hands-on introduction to the beautiful world of gourd art!
We’ll start with a quick overview of what gourds are, the different varieties, and how they’re grown. Before decorating, we’ll scrub and clean our gourds together. This step helps us understand the craft from the ground up and get connected to the material.
We’ll also briefly cover some of the traditional ways gourds have been used in the U.S. and around the world. From there, we’ll experiment with several design techniques, including decoupage, engraving, and gold leaf appliqué. We’ll demonstrate each method and help you explore your own creative direction.
Before we begin, we’ll go over clear safety instructions since we’ll be working with Dremels and engraving tools. Gloves, goggles, and face masks will be provided for everyone.
You’ll leave with a beautifully decorated gourd ornament and some new techniques to continue exploring. If you want to keep experimenting with gourd craft at home, we’ll also have additional blank gourds available for purchase.
This class is taught by Abeni Pierson!
Abeni Pierson is a Chicagoland native, fiber artist, educator, and the founder of Where the Pines Grow. She studied fashion design at Columbia College Chicago, but over time felt pulled away from the fashion industry and toward a more sustainable way of making. She has taught for the last 4 years around Northern California and works with plant fibers she forages, cleans, and dyes by hand. She is committed to keeping the language of American folk arts alive by leading workshops around the U.S. in pine needle weaving, gourd carving, cattail weaving, and broom corn weaving. Her classes are welcoming and grounding, encouraging people to slow down, create with their hands, and reconnect with the natural world.
Nov 15th (4:30 pm - 7:30 pm)
Join us for a hands-on introduction to the beautiful world of gourd art!
We’ll start with a quick overview of what gourds are, the different varieties, and how they’re grown. Before decorating, we’ll scrub and clean our gourds together. This step helps us understand the craft from the ground up and get connected to the material.
We’ll also briefly cover some of the traditional ways gourds have been used in the U.S. and around the world. From there, we’ll experiment with several design techniques, including decoupage, engraving, and gold leaf appliqué. We’ll demonstrate each method and help you explore your own creative direction.
Before we begin, we’ll go over clear safety instructions since we’ll be working with Dremels and engraving tools. Gloves, goggles, and face masks will be provided for everyone.
You’ll leave with a beautifully decorated gourd ornament and some new techniques to continue exploring. If you want to keep experimenting with gourd craft at home, we’ll also have additional blank gourds available for purchase.
This class is taught by Abeni Pierson!
Abeni Pierson is a Chicagoland native, fiber artist, educator, and the founder of Where the Pines Grow. She studied fashion design at Columbia College Chicago, but over time felt pulled away from the fashion industry and toward a more sustainable way of making. She has taught for the last 4 years around Northern California and works with plant fibers she forages, cleans, and dyes by hand. She is committed to keeping the language of American folk arts alive by leading workshops around the U.S. in pine needle weaving, gourd carving, cattail weaving, and broom corn weaving. Her classes are welcoming and grounding, encouraging people to slow down, create with their hands, and reconnect with the natural world.