Laurie Laramie’s first piece, a beautiful Southwest desert scene.
Martha Spillane
* 1 cup of imagination
* 1 gourd of any size and shape
* A generous amount of paint, stain, or dye
* Let dry
* And, violà, your perfect designer gourd
* Optional, no artistic ability required
Back in 2013, when Robson Ranch was just a wee bit of a community, Rick Taylor, his wife, Nan, and Judy Lasinbat had the bright idea to start a Gourd Club for residents who were interested in learning how to turn a gourd into a work of art. Word got around, and as the community grew, so did our membership. Today, we have 29 members and the only Gourd Club in all of the Robson communities.
Kathy Roche was one of the club’s first members. She is still active and teaches this medium with great success. Her students have created some beautiful gourds. Our newest member, Laurie Laramie, has created a beautiful Southwest desert scene using stains and pigments. This is her first piece. She told me she’s addicted. If I wasn’t limited on space, I would love to show you all of our members’ creations, but since I can’t, feel free to stop in and take a look at our showcase.
If you’re interested in learning the techniques from start to finish, headmistress Kathy will be holding orientation classes once a month. She will show you how to prepare your gourd, the use of stains and dyes, and how to dremel and burn. Stop in for a look around. We’re open Mondays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building studio 3. If you would like to sign up for one of Kathy’s orientation classes, we have a sign-up sheet in our studio. Our fee is $5 and includes your first gourd to take home. For a yearly membership of $10 (prorated in June) you too can become an obsessed gourder.
The Gourd Club members look forward to meeting you.