Monarch Butterfly and Flower Luminary

ABOUT THE PROCESS: Gourds are vegetables related to pumpkins, squash and cucumbers, and they grow in a variety of shapes and sizes. This allows gourd artists to create a range of decorative ornaments, boxes or birdhouses. After harvest the process starts by selecting and green-scraping each gourd using a dull knife to shed the outer green skin. The gourds then dry naturally in the sun of the coastal desert. Next, the artist creatively draws the design with a pencil adapting to the shape. A skillful carver then carefully etches the fine lines with a simple hand chisel. Using a technique called pyrography, fire adds the rich shades of browns and blacks. Sometimes after the carving and burning, a white paste is applied and washed off to highlight the intricate carvings. Gourd boxes will be cut open and the inside scraped clean of seeds and fibers and then painted. Finally the outside is waxed and polished, presenting you with a one-of-a-kind piece to treasure for generations!