Gourd in progress

Working on my latest gourd, I have come across the dreaded artist block. I'm wanting this one to be more unique and detailed but I am wrestling with subject matter. It will be deep. Stay tuned. Meanwhile I am diverting my attention to painting hoping for a breakthrough.

Basket Sold!

My wife received an email message from a woman in New Jersey who did a search for handwoven baskets and found our site among many others. She was very impressed with Debbie's baskets, as pictured on our website in a "Christmas Sale" posting and asked if the stairstep basket was available for purchase. Debbie emailed her back that the stairstep basket, pictured here, was ready for purchase and the sale was made - $52 + shipping.  The customer relayed that she had been looking for a stairstep basket to purchase as a gift for a friend. A few days after shipping the basket, the customer contacted Debbie to say that she and her friend loved the basket and would definitely be repeat customers and pass along our website address to their family and friends.

Chipmunk Gourd

The latest gourd I have completed was wood-burned on a"cannonball" gourd. Chipmunks are the subject matter, which is fitting, since I now have chipmunks living under my front porch. Not to worry though, Bailey our dog is on to them.  There are three chipmunks that are colored/painted using oil pencils. The end result is OK but I'm starting to want more brilliance. It took longer than it should have to complete due to other circumstances and projects. I also have some other angles of the gourd, below, showing the other chipmunks. Let me know what you think?

Longtime No Post

It has been a long time. A lot has happened since the last post. Hard to believe it's been that long. I intend to start posting soon. I've done a new gourd that I will display as soon as I get some photos of it. Stay tuned.

Dinosaur gourd

I designed and painted this gourd last October 2009. It was my first venture into applying color on a gourd using oil pencils. I am pleased with the end result even though I know I have a long way to go to be totally satisfied. I was told by other gourd artist that I need to use certain dyes for color. I intend to do so in the future, but for now I just wanted to use what I had on hand. With a light brushing of turpentine to dilute the oil from the pencil, I think it turned out alright.

I have always been fascinated by dinosaurs since I was a little kid going to school at St. Dominic. On rainy days when we weren't allowed to go outside for recess, I would draw dinosaurs on the chalkboard. This gourd is divided in two halves.One side depicts a long-neck dinosaur feeding, aware that a predator is lurking in the background. The other half is an underwater scene of pleasiosaur getting ready to have a fish dinner. In the background is a coelecanth, a once thought to be extinct species of prehistoric fish.
Below are some detail photos. Let me know what you think.

Farm Gourd

     Dad gave me a small gourd some time ago and asked me to draw or paint something on it for him. I finally decided to create a farm scene on it and give it to him this past Christmas.
      The scene actually depicts hay hauling where we used to farm. Dad would be slowly driving the ol' Ford 2000 tractor while I would grab the bales and load them on the wagon where my brother Mike would stack the bales. The log house is in the background is where we would unload the hay to store for winter feeding for the milk cows. The old tobacco barn is just down the ridge. Bear, our dog, is shown following the wagon as he would so often do.
     The upper portion has some holstein cows feeding in the field directly behind the house we grew up in on Lebanon road. The milk parlor is in the background along with hints of our house nad Granny's house along with the old barn where we first milked.
      The farm scene surrounds the gourd and is my second gourds with color. Dad was impressed. Below are three views of the Farm gourd.

Christmas Basket Sale

Happy Holidays from Debbie's Basket Shop
Below are several baskets that would make an ideal gift for that someone special this holiday season. All baskets were hand woven by Debbie, and if you are interested in any basket, leave a comment and we will contact you about any questions you might have. Merry Christmas!

A. Step basket w/ navy accent $42

B. Quail basket w/ceramic handles $44
    
C. bakery basket w/ green accent $42

D. Apple basket w/navy and burgandy accent $38
20" tall  - 12"x9" basket

E. Wine basket $34

F. Lunch basket $29
10" tall - 7"x9"x5" basket

G. Letter basket (left) $29
Mail basket $21