Earth’s Treasures

This was a more complex sculpture. The Cottonwood base was sandblasted and finished. The gourd was then cleaned and prepared with an opening on one side for weaving and the other side was carved to fit the geode. I then dyed the gourd with archival gourd ink. After weaving the opening and positioning the gourd on the base, I drilled holes for the screws. I then laid the gourd on its back to glue the geode. Once dried, I secured the gourd to the base and wove the top using dyed rattan reed and bone and yarn for embellishments.

Height: 16
Width: 17
Depth: 8
Photo credit: Artist

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H: 16" | W: 17" | D: 8"

Photo by Artist

Shirley Eichten Albrecht

Sedona, AZ

When I am about to begin a gourd sculpture, I take time to really explore the gourd’s shape and what story it wants to tell, whether it will be a figurative sculpture or a woven baskets. My weaving has been a real evolution moving from traditional to sculptural. I love to explore the many natural fibers available and incorporate them in ways I have not seen before. Whether I am working with gourds, Raku or antlers, each takes on its own voice. I am inspired by nature around me, and my clients respond to this. I still remember how I felt as my first sculptural basket began to form. I was working with rainbow-colored dyed spokes and weaving with natural rattan. As I wove, I got more and more excited as I saw the shape take place. When I got to the top, I wanted to be sure the colored spokes could be seen so I finished in a way that they literally just felt like they burst from the basket. From there my explorations went to using other natural materials. It was my move to Sedona, Arizona that truly moved my creative juices. I have taken my gourd art from being a craft to fine art. I want to show the natural beauty of the gourd but tell a story through my weaving and the materials that I used. I get a sense of satisfaction and calmness when I am weaving. I let things flow naturally.

NBO Members Exhibition

Shirley Eichten Albrecht