Gourd artist Mary B. Hogue is a second generation Californian now living in Utah. She began creating gourd art in 1998. She treasures the process of planting and nurturing her own canvas, hardshell gourds.

In her words: “Gourds call to me to create some- thing spiritual. I live surrounded by mountains, I marvel at the seasonal changes in them and try to mirror those changes in my art.”

Mary values the natural shapes and blemishes of gourds and incorporates them in her designs. Her latest work involves sculpting beneath the outer surface to create depth, yet leaving the natural shape of the gourd.

Mary considers her signature piece her leaf bowls. She says that leaves represent the renewal of life, and she attempts to capture their significance in her art.

Path of Heart

I remember the first time I saw you, I could only stare. You were glowing with such positve energy, I wanted to touch, feel and hold you. I imagined this first, then finally I touched you, then held you and could not let go. Your spell was upon me. I was so excited thinking about taking you home with me, and so I did. I wanted to mold you and shape you. I wanted to save your seeds so your beauty could go on forever. I wanted to take your children and create something spiritual from that dream within my soul that aches to be released. Thank you for your inspiration and enlightenment. You have already carried me so far down my path of heart and I am so very grateful to have been in that very place on that day, the first time that I saw a gourd.

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