Pink Flamingos Dancing In The Yard

I have a friend who bought a house and the day they closed and moved in found out that it was a meth house......long story short they had to live in an RV. So being an enterprising young woman she decorated appropriately with humor. When she found out that I did gourds she wanted a pink flamingo gourd. Oh this was fun. Flamingos are so graceful and beautiful with such a bad rap for the decorations they provide. It is not their fault that pink plastic replicas are placed in yards of all types. I myself have summer iced tea glasses with pink flamingos on them. The whimsy is great. So I say to you Where is your sense of humor? Flamingos rock! Okay, I could not resist putting a trailer with two plastic pink flamingos out front. Enjoy!


I think this is called a swan gourd. If not well its a flamingo gourd. How they can stand on one leg and not topple over is a wonder in and of its self.

I have some Tennessee Spinners.....Gourds!!! I was so jazzed when I saw them. You will be amazed at their size!

The Cat Gourd

Those of you who have had or now have cats will recognise the antics of these guys. This gourd is based on every cat that I have had and there have been many that gave me joy and laughter. You do realize some of their 'fun' was not mine. but for the most part.....lots of laughter.

I am with out any pets at this point in my journey but maybe in the future. This gourd is in my special selection, you know the 'artists property'. Can not put it up for sale but some have gone to other homes where I hope they are enjoyed. They take such a long time to do. Hours and hours of detailing, listening to the muse, hopefully getting right. Oh you don't see my not so great ones. Maybe someday when I am feeling brave there will be a blog about wish I hadn't done that, how I fixed it or where it lives till the fix is figured out. Till next time! And it will be soon.

The unnamed cat gourd

I started this gourd several weeks ago. It just had the little orange cat on the left and no foliage just cat on gourd. So now there are several more, like six having fun in the sunshine. They are just doing what cats do. Make me laugh.

Puppies are cute and cuddly and very loving. Cats on the other hand are funny. The tippy toe kitten with arched back and fizzed tail over nothing, or the leap to the ceiling over some perceived fright are well worth at least a belly laugh.

I don't recall seeing a dog hiding in a paperbag or box that is too small..... they do other things and usually when they are bigger. We had an 80 pound Boxer/German short-hair named Durango, she decided one time that it would be fun to run between my legs. She tipped me totally over; I swear she was laughing. Then there was the time she got a basket ball stuck in her teeth and the air was hissing out. Yeah that was funny cuz she couldn't run fast enough to get away from it. She has been gone now for about 3 years; I sure miss her she was love on four feet. I never could get her to stop kissing. But dogs are another time and maybe a gourd who knows.

When I finish I will upload the total gourd. It has been fun trying to capture cat ways.

WHERE THE BUTTERFLIES GO

This is a gourd that I did for a young ladies birthday and of course they making of them always trigger thoughts and scenes in my minds.

Butterflies are full of joy, a bright spot in any ones day even for dogs. I have an ancient Border Collie mix, a delightful bob-tailed lady who has made me smile most days. We lost the dog she raised and trained almost two years ago, a German Shorthair/Boxer mix, to cancer. Sadie still mourns Durango's loss.

Sadie delighted in leaping high into the sky after butterflies when she was in her prime. No she never caught one. Part of me thinks she did not really want to catch one she just wanted to try and it was fun. This dog could leap into the air straight up about six feet and bark while she was doing it (for some reason she never jumped the fence. How thankful for that I was!). We had a rope tied to a branch on a tree in the back yard at the home we had in Idaho Falls, ID and she could spend hours jumping and barking. No I did not let her go on and on, but I knew she would have if left to her own devices. Sadie does not jump any more and I do have to help her get up if it is a cold morning or damp out and she sleeps most of the time but she still has that bright spark in her eyes even though they don't see as well as they used to but she still can see well enough for hand signals. I use them a lot anymore as she cannot hear but the upside is thunder doesn't scare her anymore and the fourth of July fireworks do not factor into our lives either.

This butterfly gourd brought back many happy memories of Sadie's younger days and when she is sleeping and her feet are running I know she is still chasing butterflies in the sunshine and life is good.

The Frog King

This is a commissioned gourd that I just finished and delivered on Saturday. So now you know what I have been doing for the last month; that and getting the "Bug" everyone seems to have had.

The Frog Kings was so fun! It brought back memories. I know you are all surprised by that, are you not As this small world was created I felt so at peace. I love the out doors even though I seldom get to go play in it. So this is one way that I do. It is my world, my fun.

Oh boy, as I am writing this what a trip into the past. Goodness, how old...no more than 10 I guess. We used to visit our dad's oldest sister, Aunt Ivy, on their farm. Pastures were watered by flooding, guess they still are in certain areas. This happened to be in Wilford, Idaho or close to it. We tried to catch frogs in the grass and clover. It also brought up a typical Sallyism. They had a horse. I love horses. It was a paint. Palomino I think and it did not always want to move fast. Aunt Ivy's boy child( whose name I do not recollect, and you will understand why I do not want to remember when I finish this little story) was riding it bareback and wanted it to go faster so he talked me into jamming an apple on a stick and running in front of this critter that loved apples. Did I say loved apples? When you are a tiny child, not being anything but bitsy for our age ( I wonder if Susan remembers this, she probably told me not to do it) well that is one BIG horse when it is pounding the earth right behind you!!!!! Did I also mention that I love fences?

it got the apple and greatly enjoyed it.

See what a small thing like illustrating a gourd can do. I cannot wait to do the next one. I should do one of the horse and the apple. Have to think about that. Wouldn't want to embarrass my self now would I.

Well it is completed now.

What a sweet journey this has been! The Little Gourd has led me down memory lane in more ways than I could ever have imagined. It will be a little heart wrenching to let it go on its journey, but it really wants to go to Linda. Hopefully she will like it as much as I liked doing it for her. I was going to attach the wise old owl to the top of the gourd but he did not, I repeat, did not want to be there. The owl stands alone! So it will be a very small rattle. Why, I do not know but that is the way it is to be. It will make the why known in its own good time.

The painting of the gourd was easy but taking the photos in a manner that the photos came out correctly was something else. Refer to "Techie I am Not". I must have taken a hundred photos to get what I have on the blog.

I have listened and followed, painted and prayed, and have had a fine journey with this project. To all who follow the Little Gourd; thank you. Positive thoughts do help any artist in what ever medium they choose and they are appreciated. They are helpful. They give courage when we need it and always send inspiration.

We all have different talents. They are gifts that we must use for good and always, always give thanks for them.

What will be my next project? No sure, but it will have my all as has the Little Gourd . You know when you give your all, you get it all back.

Well the Fox is in it now

I know, I know, wolves and butterflies were in my head but you know those foxes are pretty quick.

That is the wonderful thing about art It is so fluid and it is best to be open to change lest frustration lay you low.

I love Indian Paintbrush and Horsetail because they bring good memories to the surface of my mind.

Memories of Big Falls the one place on earth that is a sanctuary in my heart. It is a place of peace, tranquility and unbelievably clear water. At the headwaters of the Henry's Fork of the Snake River you could count the pebbles if you were so inclined. It is called Big Springs and there are trout that you can feed. They stay by the bridge and they are BIG trout. Uh uh no fishing!

You might think this has nothing to do with the Little Gourd....actually it doesn't. But yet it does because Island Park has all that I am putting on the Little Gourd. Things stored in my memory often make it to my paintings. Experience and observation are the arts best friends, then with imagination thrown in, oh what worlds we can create.

Oh the butterfly did make it. It flew in and is sitting on the Indian Paintbrush. A little blue one. Maybe more will join it; we will just have to wait and see. It will be featured in the next blog which should have the wolf, maybe.