Link to my new gallery (on Picasa Web)

Just posted a selection of photos to a new gallery (hope the link works ok).

 

 

Gourds come in such a rich variety of shapes!

 

Lynda with her gourds at the Kerrville Gourd Show.

 

Some of the exhibitors at the First Annual Gourd Art Show in Kerrville, Texas.

 

Painting on a gourd, in my studio at home.

 

A Group of Lynda's Gourds, from before the State Gourd Society show last year.

 

A Group of Lynda's Gourds, from before the State Gourd Society show last year.

Lynda began gourd crafting in 1996. She has shown yearly at the Texas Gourd Show since 1998, and received many awards there, including Best of Show in 2003. Other shows include Huffines Art Trails (2000), Denton Art and Jazz Festival (2000), Craft Guild (’98), and Taste of Addison (’98). Currently her gourds are on display at Sunset Canyon Gallery in Dripping Springs, west of Austin, and Crosseyed Moose, Cedar Hill.
Artist’s Statement
Born in the upstate New York countryside, I grew up looking to nature for craft ideas and materials. I would gather "artist’s fungus" from trees and etch on their soft white undersides, or wait for them to dry and use a woodburner to make my designs. My friends and I would make acorn necklaces or pipes. Every year we waxed colorful leaves in the Fall, and used natural greens and berries to decorate for Christmas. Over the years I have experimented with various media, but have always gravitated back to work with natural materials. I loved art in school but opted to pursue a social work degree and later switched to occupational therapy because it used crafts for therapy. I have several patients who now enjoy doing gourd crafts. Today I still use crafts daily in my work with patients, as well as for my own enjoyment.
I began working with gourds in 1992 after finding a book on gourd crafting. Gourds give me ideas--the size, shape and coloring of gourds suggests designs and themes for decorating them. A long graceful neck can become a bird or a speckled skin can become lizard skin or mottled leaves. Because gourds come from nature, I try to use natural themes such as leaves, birds and animals for my designs. Their shapes often make good pots, which often suggest Southwestern designs. Sometimes they become Indian women wrapped in cloaks and holding pots.
I like to woodburn, paint, dye, carve or stain gourds, and often my vision is best expressed through a combination of these techniques. I have used weaving and macrame to surround their necks, or feathers and stones to add interest. I sometimes add leather leaves or ceramic feathers, or decoupage real leaves onto them. Gourds afford so much versatility that there seems to be a neverending wealth of ideas for creating works of art.

LBS Designs
Lynda Beth Smith

Introductory Post

Artist’s Biography
Lynda Beth Smith

Lynda was born and raised in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, and graduated from State University of New York (Stony Brook) in 1968 with BA in Sociology. She spent 2 years with US Peace Corps in Ethiopia as a teacher. She received a Masters in Occupational Therapy from Texas Women’s University in l982, and has worked as an Occupational Therapist at Baylor Medical Center (Dallas) and Veteran’s Medical Center (Dallas) for 19 years.

Lynda began gourd crafting in 1996. She has shown yearly at the Texas Gourd Show since 1998, and received many awards there, including Best of Show in 2003. Other shows include Huffines Art Trails (2000), Denton Art and Jazz Festival (2000), Craft Guild (’98), and Taste of Addison (’98). Currently her gourds are on display at Sunset Canyon Gallery in Dripping Springs, west of Austin, and Crosseyed Moose, Cedar Hill.