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02-15-2007, 04:30 PM
To AG School Arts Grad Gourds Mean Business
Former NMSU Student's Magic Turns Weeds into Art
By Ben Moffett
Sandy Short of Las Cruces worked her way through college picking wild gourds, then painting and selling them. When she graduated from New Mexico State University in 1985, clutching a fine arts degree in graphic design in one hand, a gourd in the other and a paint brush between her teeth, Short decided she liked her work so much she would keep it. She's been picking, painting and peddling gourds ever since, and becoming very well known too.
<center><img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/P1010040_1.jpg border=1 align=center>
Sandy's Kitty Gourd Series is one of her most popular ongoing collections</center>
Her most recent press clipping comes from the December 2006 issue of New Mexico Magazine (pages 72-75).
"As canvases go, the ones artist Sandy Short loves to use would give most painters fits," wrote Claudia O'Keefe, a nature writer who seems as knowledgeable about gourds as art. "(Sandy's) are spherical and irregular, dimpled and dented. No two are the same size, and some even bear spotted testimony of bouts with surface mold.
"Though gourd art is popular with the state's artists and fine crafters, few endeavor to make a full time living from this weedy vine," O'Keefe continues.
<img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/taos9size.jpg border=1 align=left hspace=3 alt="Sandy's 'Taos 9' Gourds are very popular">The gourds Sandy uses are quite common -- not the fancy dipper-shaped ones that are grown in gardens and hung on fence rows for decoration.
Sandy paints buffalo gourds, sometimes called coyote melons. They grow wild across the Chihuahuan desert, along roadsides, railroad tracks, and near waterways. A perennial, the vine has deep taproots and in perfect condition it can grow to the size of a football field before dying back when it frosts.
Its Latin name is Curcurbita foetidessimo. The species name translates into something like "really fetid."
"They are smelly (when they are green) but after they dry they have no odor," Sandy assures us. "You don't eat them, although desert animals do like to eat the seeds and pulp."
<img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/taos8size.jpg border=1 align=right hspace=3 alt="Sandy's 'Taos 8' Gourds are enjoyed by collectors">Dried gourds, the ones Sandy paints, are not smelly at all, however. They are light, dry, durable, and like footprints or faces, no two are the same -- each containing its own pattern of bumps and blemishes.
It is the imperfections in the gourds that Sandy looks for and exploits in her painting. "Rather than deter her, the imperfections are what motivate her to paint one gourd after another," the New Mexico Magazine article said. "Many buyers will hunt through a basket overflowing with dozens of finished ornaments, which typically range in price from $10 to $25, seeking out the oddest shapes."
Sandy has become so skillful that people from far and wide buy her ornaments, which she does in 500 different designs, often in themes. She has a set of 12 that make up a mission theme, which includes San Miguel in Socorro, St. Francis in Santa Fe and San Albino in Mesilla. Other themes are Native American, cowboy, angel and nativity.
"People buy them by the dozen," she told Steppin' Out, often looking for the bumps and blemishes or odd shapes that bring out Sandy's creative magic. "They make great low-cost art gifts for birthdays, Mothers Day, Easter or Christmas. Customers also buy them to say, 'Thanks' to a friend, or just to say 'I love you.' The best part is every one is completely unique." she smiles.
<img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/nmgroupgourds.jpg border=1 align=left hspace=3 alt="Sandy's 'Taos 9' Gourds are quite popular">The dried, painted finished product has many decorative uses, such as art pieces for mantles, kitchen good luck charms, teacher gifts, and they're often used as Christmas tree ornaments too. All the ones Sandy produces are attached to a hanger which makes them easy to hang almost anywhere. Unlike typical glass bulbs that shatter into dozens of sharp pieces, gourds can usually withstand a tumble off a shelf, a desk or the top branches of a tree without breaking.
Her customer base is broad. She ships her work around the country to collectors, shops and galleries, and people from around the world have purchased her work. In each package she sends along a card describing the gourd.
An interesting and time-consuming part of Sandy's job is gathering the gourds. Fortunately they grow along roadsides and on public land so she neither has to cultivate or purchase them. Her mother, Cora Short, helps her with the task. Cora also helps grade, pack, ship, and insire new design ideas."
<img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/P1010008.jpg border=1 align=right hspace=3 alt="Sandy picks only the best gourds...">Sandy picks only the best gourds, looking for peculiar shapes. "I only use the best," she said. "She sells up to 5,000 ornaments each year, and picks many gourds.
O'Keefe's New Mexico Magazine story goes into detail on exactly how Sandy paints the gourds, not an easy task. "Attempting purely geometric designs can lead to disastrous results on these imperfectly shaped supports," writes O'Keefe. "Even drawing a straight horizon line for a range of mountains in the background proves surprisingly difficult."
Sandy's degree in fine art helps. "When I graduated, there weren't many art jobs around, and I wanted to stay in Las Cruces," she said. <img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/PA040018.jpg border=1 align=left hspace=3 alt="Sandy is practically a walking billboard for NMSU">"I started out with arts and crafts fairs and then galleries started finding them. "The art degree definitely gave me confidence," she said.
Sandy Short is practically a walking billboard for New Mexico State University, which specializes in agriculture more than art. Sandy has found a way to combine the two disciplines by lifting the lowly buffalo gourd to artistic status.
You can learn more about Sandy and her ornaments at the following web address:
(http://www.handpaintedgourds.com/) www.handpaintedgourds.com (http://www.handpaintedgourds.com/)
And you can e-mail her at sandy@handpaintedgourds.com (sandy@handpaintedgourds.com) for a free brochure of her artwork.
[Ben Moffett is a native of San Antonio, N.M., located in the heart of buffalo gourd country. You may contact him at benmoffett@comcast.net (benmoffett@comcast.net).]
Former NMSU Student's Magic Turns Weeds into Art
By Ben Moffett
Sandy Short of Las Cruces worked her way through college picking wild gourds, then painting and selling them. When she graduated from New Mexico State University in 1985, clutching a fine arts degree in graphic design in one hand, a gourd in the other and a paint brush between her teeth, Short decided she liked her work so much she would keep it. She's been picking, painting and peddling gourds ever since, and becoming very well known too.
<center><img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/P1010040_1.jpg border=1 align=center>
Sandy's Kitty Gourd Series is one of her most popular ongoing collections</center>
Her most recent press clipping comes from the December 2006 issue of New Mexico Magazine (pages 72-75).
"As canvases go, the ones artist Sandy Short loves to use would give most painters fits," wrote Claudia O'Keefe, a nature writer who seems as knowledgeable about gourds as art. "(Sandy's) are spherical and irregular, dimpled and dented. No two are the same size, and some even bear spotted testimony of bouts with surface mold.
"Though gourd art is popular with the state's artists and fine crafters, few endeavor to make a full time living from this weedy vine," O'Keefe continues.
<img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/taos9size.jpg border=1 align=left hspace=3 alt="Sandy's 'Taos 9' Gourds are very popular">The gourds Sandy uses are quite common -- not the fancy dipper-shaped ones that are grown in gardens and hung on fence rows for decoration.
Sandy paints buffalo gourds, sometimes called coyote melons. They grow wild across the Chihuahuan desert, along roadsides, railroad tracks, and near waterways. A perennial, the vine has deep taproots and in perfect condition it can grow to the size of a football field before dying back when it frosts.
Its Latin name is Curcurbita foetidessimo. The species name translates into something like "really fetid."
"They are smelly (when they are green) but after they dry they have no odor," Sandy assures us. "You don't eat them, although desert animals do like to eat the seeds and pulp."
<img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/taos8size.jpg border=1 align=right hspace=3 alt="Sandy's 'Taos 8' Gourds are enjoyed by collectors">Dried gourds, the ones Sandy paints, are not smelly at all, however. They are light, dry, durable, and like footprints or faces, no two are the same -- each containing its own pattern of bumps and blemishes.
It is the imperfections in the gourds that Sandy looks for and exploits in her painting. "Rather than deter her, the imperfections are what motivate her to paint one gourd after another," the New Mexico Magazine article said. "Many buyers will hunt through a basket overflowing with dozens of finished ornaments, which typically range in price from $10 to $25, seeking out the oddest shapes."
Sandy has become so skillful that people from far and wide buy her ornaments, which she does in 500 different designs, often in themes. She has a set of 12 that make up a mission theme, which includes San Miguel in Socorro, St. Francis in Santa Fe and San Albino in Mesilla. Other themes are Native American, cowboy, angel and nativity.
"People buy them by the dozen," she told Steppin' Out, often looking for the bumps and blemishes or odd shapes that bring out Sandy's creative magic. "They make great low-cost art gifts for birthdays, Mothers Day, Easter or Christmas. Customers also buy them to say, 'Thanks' to a friend, or just to say 'I love you.' The best part is every one is completely unique." she smiles.
<img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/nmgroupgourds.jpg border=1 align=left hspace=3 alt="Sandy's 'Taos 9' Gourds are quite popular">The dried, painted finished product has many decorative uses, such as art pieces for mantles, kitchen good luck charms, teacher gifts, and they're often used as Christmas tree ornaments too. All the ones Sandy produces are attached to a hanger which makes them easy to hang almost anywhere. Unlike typical glass bulbs that shatter into dozens of sharp pieces, gourds can usually withstand a tumble off a shelf, a desk or the top branches of a tree without breaking.
Her customer base is broad. She ships her work around the country to collectors, shops and galleries, and people from around the world have purchased her work. In each package she sends along a card describing the gourd.
An interesting and time-consuming part of Sandy's job is gathering the gourds. Fortunately they grow along roadsides and on public land so she neither has to cultivate or purchase them. Her mother, Cora Short, helps her with the task. Cora also helps grade, pack, ship, and insire new design ideas."
<img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/P1010008.jpg border=1 align=right hspace=3 alt="Sandy picks only the best gourds...">Sandy picks only the best gourds, looking for peculiar shapes. "I only use the best," she said. "She sells up to 5,000 ornaments each year, and picks many gourds.
O'Keefe's New Mexico Magazine story goes into detail on exactly how Sandy paints the gourds, not an easy task. "Attempting purely geometric designs can lead to disastrous results on these imperfectly shaped supports," writes O'Keefe. "Even drawing a straight horizon line for a range of mountains in the background proves surprisingly difficult."
Sandy's degree in fine art helps. "When I graduated, there weren't many art jobs around, and I wanted to stay in Las Cruces," she said. <img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/PA040018.jpg border=1 align=left hspace=3 alt="Sandy is practically a walking billboard for NMSU">"I started out with arts and crafts fairs and then galleries started finding them. "The art degree definitely gave me confidence," she said.
Sandy Short is practically a walking billboard for New Mexico State University, which specializes in agriculture more than art. Sandy has found a way to combine the two disciplines by lifting the lowly buffalo gourd to artistic status.
You can learn more about Sandy and her ornaments at the following web address:
(http://www.handpaintedgourds.com/) www.handpaintedgourds.com (http://www.handpaintedgourds.com/)
And you can e-mail her at sandy@handpaintedgourds.com (sandy@handpaintedgourds.com) for a free brochure of her artwork.
[Ben Moffett is a native of San Antonio, N.M., located in the heart of buffalo gourd country. You may contact him at benmoffett@comcast.net (benmoffett@comcast.net).]