Sharpees on Gourd Surfaces

Sharpees can be a quick way to put images on a gourd. I use them for ornaments and bowls when I want colorful calligraphy. There have been some lessons along the way however, and I am happy to share those with you.

This experiment and subsequent lesson has to do with polyurethane and Sharpee ink. First of all, let me tell you I am a BIG fan of Sharpee and use them over paint most of the time. However, there are two problems that arise: not all finishes will mix with Sharpee easily, and Sharpee ink fades over time.

In my experience Sharpee ink bleeds with Miniwax Polyurethane. Even if I use a brush and apply the thinnest coast possible so the ink won't run in drips, the brush becomes colored with the ink. Brushing over the existing brushed places just makes the ink ever-so-subtly blend over the background and image. The fix to that has been to use spray Poly lightly, let it dry, spray again, then brush. Many steps, but it works.

The other problem has been the fact a gourd will absorb the ink color over time. If used to fill in woodburning images, the colored part begins to look like little dabs of ink were applied here and there while most of the image was left plain. Only regular blue tends to stay more visible, but only in blobs.

Customers have brought back gourds with elaborate art on them that after years have faded to nothingness. A little time spent redo-ing the Sharpee on top of the finish brought the gourds back to life with happy results, even after another couple years.

To fix both of these problems, I have started to apply poly first (this works with spar varnish, polyurethane, acrylic, or floor polish--spraying or brushing, the application technique does not seem to matter), let dry and apply the Sharpee design on top of the sealant. The color stays true, is permanent, and has no fading.

The 12 year old back

The renewed back

An example of how Sharpee color fades on a gourd surface can be striking. This gourd angel is about 12 years old. You can see from the rear shot how faded the color had become. With new color, the original vibrant look is renewed. So, as a lesson in process: Put Sharpee colors on AFTER the initial coat of sealant. That keeps the color from soaking into the gourd and fading over time.

The renewed front

Hope this Crackin' Good lesson helps you!
CAM

Storage Solutions for Gourd Parts

Sometimes I get frustrated with the small pieces of gourds, tools, rim materials, and the other detritus that accumulates around the gourd studio. Not all of it is waste; some can be put to really good use if I can save it in an orderly way. Enter the multi-drawer storage unit used by woodworkers for nuts and bolts. I highly encourage use of these things. One drawer is collecting stems and miniature bottleneck gourd heads for the cats I make.

Drawers hold stems and gourd parts,
rim materials, glue sticks pins, nails,
picks, and lures....all the strange bits
and pieces of a gourder's artistic life.

Rubbermaid, 10 drawers. I bought
two of these several years
ago, and forgot them!

Stems serve as tails on the backs of these miniature
bottleneck gourd cats. Finished cats to come!

Micro Bowls

In an effort to make fairyhouse sized gourd bowls, I have been using the belly of miniature bottleneck gourds. This particular one has a crackled rim. It was made by using pliers to squeeze off the edge to get the irregular appearance.

A chisel tip on my inexpensive
woodburner made the wheat image.

Gourd Fairyhouse is Moving Forward....

See the fairyhouse move forward. The Gourd Great Room is made, the sketch for the finished project is presented as a plan for the whole thing.

See the Finished Gourd Book!

The Research Book of Days is done! Check out the post to see the finished project.

Gourde Pliable

At the Dollar Tree check-out.

While walking the aisles of my local Dollar Tree and moving to the check-out counter, what should I come across but this handy dandy water bottle. As a multi-language label, the water bottle name translates to "Gourde Pliable". It is a collapsible container to carry liquids while doing outdoor activities. Gourds were, and in many areas are still, water carriers and dippers. It still catches me by surprise when I see the connection between gourds and modern products.

CA Mohr

Shaping Gourds

As reported in inhabitat, Andrew Mowbray, has been growing gourd building blocks for a couple years. Check out the article link to see other images, especially the one with green gourds banded with the box sides they are being molded within. The unique difference with Andrew Mowbray's molded gourds is that his concept extends beyond the art and beauty of the gourd to a product that could have a utilitarian purpose. My question would have to be about expansion. Since gourds are living, when released does the amount of expansion hinder the stacking potential?

Although approaching gourd-shaping from a new angle, these notched, stackable blocks follow a long established tradition of gourd altering. Plastic molds have been used to shape faces as documented by Suzanne Cook's article and photograph. Dan Ladd has been producing remarkable gourd art with classic shapes in the Greek tradition for quite a while.
His molds are porous which reduces the accumulating moisture that can happen with plastic/acrylic molds.

Of course nothing is as simple as tying a rope or wire around a gourd as it grows. In fact, just letting a gourd grow against a chain link fence will imprint the link pattern onto the gourd. Gourds are fluid, a natural work in progress and will shape themselves to accommodate their surroundings.

Let's try an experiment this summer with several different possibilities!



CA Mohr