The Gourd Story

Many years ago, Holly Bentz Coia joined a concert choir, where she met people from various backgrounds, including a pumpkin farmer. One summer, the farmer grew hard-shelled gourds but wasn't sure what to do with them. He dried them and brought them to choir practice, handing them to Holly with a simple request: "Here, you’re an artist. Do something with these!"

At first glance, the dirty, moldy gourds did not inspire her. They were covered in mud, manure, and hay. Despite her lack of enthusiasm, she took them home and left them in a corner of her studio.

Months later, during a trip to Taos, New Mexico, Holly came across a poster of Robert Rivera's work entitled “Gourd Vessels”. The gourds in the artwork had a smooth, light brown surface and resembled ceramics. Intrigued, she returned home and began scraping the dirt off the hard-shelled gourds, uncovering the same light brown hue she had admired.

She scrubbed and sanded the gourds, revealing their natural beauty. When she painted them, the pieces were so well received they sold before they were even dry. From that moment, Holly was hooked.

The following year, she bought an entire field of gourds from the pumpkin farmer. Today, Holly and her family grow their own hard-shelled Lagenaria gourds in their garden. These non-edible members of the squash family grow on long vines, similar to pumpkins or watermelons.

Once the vines die back, the green gourds are harvested and dried until the following summer. After drying, they are soaked, scrubbed, and prepared for painting. Holly decorates the gourds using acrylic and latex paints, finishing them with polyurethane or marine spar varnish to ensure durability.

Once dried, hard-shelled gourds become timeless pieces of art that can last indefinitely.