Renate was born and raised in Germany and always loved painting or working with crafts. In her family crafts were considered a natural pastime. But nothing in her life prepared her for the encounter with gourds. Creating gourd art started out as a hobby but immediately turned into a way of life for her. She quit her job to completely devote her time to gourds and her art.
A love for nature and everything natural guides Renate’s hand in creating a one of a kind usable art form. Here’s what Renate has to say about her art pieces:
Each and every gourd inspires me differently. Gourds talk to you to let you know what they want to become. My relationships with Gourds help me show respect for the earth and nature.
Gourds were humankind’s first vessels, used for cooking, storing and travel. I like to keep within the “old ways”, trying to imagine what an ancestor long ago would have created with just such a gourd.
I started growing Gourds in recent years. Watching the gourds grow from seed, develop their own individuality as they mature, and dry on the vine, leads me to create what ever art piece they intend to become.
Most of my useable art pieces are carved, pyroengraved or both. I try to use only natural media and materials such as pigmented waxes, leather pigments, hemp, pine needles etc. for embellishing.
This interview took place in the beautiful northern California foothills where Renate lives with her partner Eddie, dog Toby, and the cats Max and Star, on top of a mountain overlooking the lake.
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