Chatham Artists Guild

All artwork, images, text and graphics on this website,
and the rights to reproduce those images, text and graphics,
are the property of the artists and the Chatham Studio Tour and are protected by copyright law. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2008-2012

# 38

Studio location for the Tour only-
showing with Rita Baldwin:

2698 Hanks Chapel Road
Pittsboro

919.742.4440

kroll.ctinsky@gmail.com

Ode To Nature

Ode To Nature (view 2)

Hand-carved & painted sculptures, bowls, earring holders, earrings & pendants, all from home-grown gourds

My work literally and figuratively begins as a seed. I combine my passion for art and love of gardening by growing gourds and using them as my eco friendly and sustainable art medium. A background in textile design influences my work with gourds. As a textile designer, I discovered that many of the patterns I used for fabric design were fashioned after the fractal patterns repeated throughout nature. This continues to inspire my work and serves as reminder to me of our connection to everything in the universe. Once dried and properly prepared, hard-shell gourds have a texture and look of wood. The shape and thickness of the gourd help me determine the carving techniques to use. To create depth of color and vibrancy, I use many layers of colored glazes. The finished piece is sealed with several coats of polyurethane for lifetime durability.