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The Gourdistry of Alana Riveira

 Once I held the raw gourd in my hands it felt like I had found a friend.  I had been “Awakened” by nature’s canvas.  At the time I was two weeks into recovering from a shoulder operation, so I had one arm in a waist sling. To cut my first gourd open, I put it on a towel on a bench and held it down with one bare foot and proceeded to cut the top off.  I looked hilarious but I wanted to do this by myself.  I wood burned on it with an inexpensive craft store burning pen and was hooked.  I became a gourdhead!

 I was an Electrician at Boeing in Everett for 26 years (on the Airplanes) and while raising our four boys the only artistic things I did was to help them with their school art projects.  As a result, late in life after my boys were grown and gone I began the struggle of learning as your go. The gourds and I “play” together in my small shop in our garage.      

 I will usually pick a gourd out to work on and have a design in mind then somewhere during the design and development stages the gourd gives me challenges or visions to follow or just takes me on another direction.  I love working/playing with the gourds, Woodburning, Carving, Etching, Dyes, Coiling, Washes of paint, Gold leaf, Inlays Etc.  Bob and I belong to a local Carving club and I Carve wood and do Bark carving, dabble in Stained Glass and recently tried Oil Painting. I’m an addicted collector of seashells, rocks and driftwood. Usually my hubby plays his Guitar or Ukulele while I play at my art.  It is wonderful music to be creative with.