Vendor of the Week: Going Gourds and More

Get Going: Going Gourds and More shares an artist passion for gourds.

A life-long student of the arts, Jessica Di Giacomo has studied and worked in a variety of art mediums, but it was on an unassuming afternoon at a garden club meeting that Jessica found her artistic mode of expression- gourds. "I was hooked," says Di Giacomo, "the lecturer brought in gourds from her garden, and as a project, we were to draw or paint on them."

A prime example of her work: An original design woodburned onto the gourd with an aqua wash.

Her interest in gourds has turned into her passion. "Gourds have been used as a functional object for thousands of years," Di Giacomo declares. "Gourds are found in almost all cultures. They've been made into grain containers, ladles, musical instruments, canteens and so much more." The artist's main interest is an traditional form of gourd art design called Pyrography- where a design is produced using heat and burned onto the gourd. Jessica updates this ancient practice by employing a modern wood burning tool to create her designs.

The passion that goes into Going Gourds and More has become a gourd obsession. The artist now belongs to several gourd groups- including a local Gourd Patch group, as well as state and national chapters of the Gourd Society.  Di Giacomo puts this passion to work in her business, selling her gourds online at Etsy. You can also find her in person at our very own Midtown Bazaar.

Would you like to see more examples gourd art?  Check out her Etsy shop: Going Gourds and More.