Meet Our Featured Artists
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Introducing Mary Pinick Ward
Our featured artist, Mary Pinick Ward, lives in Derby, Kansas. Derby may be a small town, but it is rich in opportunities to explore art and be inspired. This inspiration is evident in Mary’s winning contest entry, “Hope Blooms.” Although she earned other awards for her art, it was her first entry into Bonnie Gibson’s quarterly Gourd Crafting Contest featured in this magazine. Mary loves the 3-D aspect of creating gourd art. While some gourders prefer to focus their efforts on the front of the gourd, her gourd art surrounds the entire piece. She often uses revolving display stands so the viewer can appreciate her gourd art from every angle. Read and see more 
Introducing Vicki Patterson
Vicki Patterson, our fall 2023 Featured Artist, believes that if you hang out with creative people, no matter what their medium is, something will catch your attention that can be applied to a gourd. The creation of her winning entry featured in the Summer Issue of The Gourd Magazine, “Hooty the Owl,” combines details and techniques that likely came from interacting with all kinds of creative people. Read and see more |
Introducing Sammie Crawford
Our Crafted Gourd Featured Artist for the spring 2023 issue was Sammie Crawford of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Her winning entry for the theme “Gourds with Handles” was a beautifully painted tea set composed entirely of gourds, including gourd stems for the handles. Sammie started out as a painter and drew the attention of major painting magazines all of which have published her work. Her gourd ornaments have been included on White House Christmas trees 4 times. Ornaments are not retained there but passed on to the Smithsonian. Read and see more 
Introducing Leanna Donald
Meet Leanna Donald, of De Soto, Kansas, who believes that everyone is born with an inherent urge to create. Whether that be with pen and paper, sundries from the pantry, or drills, saws, and the fall harvest, we all have the compulsion to make our visions come to life. Leanna’s winning entry was a gourd light whose flowers and butterflies beautifully captured the theme Color Statement. She has been entering The Gourd Magazine’s Crafting Contest since she first began creating gourd art. It wasn’t long before her work earned recognition. Read and see more ... |
Introducing Carole Corchaine-Poitras
Relatively new to gourd art, Carole Courchaine-Poitras earned First Place in The Gourd Magazine’s Fall 2025 Gourd Crafting Contest with her wine decanter just 5 years after making her first gourd. She is primarily self-taught. Read more 
Introducing Patricia Barajas
Our Featured Artist for the Winter 2023 issue was Patricia Barajas of San Diego, California. Her entry for the “Creative Carving” theme was an Owl Woman that covers the entire gourd. This was her first entry into The Gourd Magazine’s Gourd Crafting Contest. Patricia loves to carve and has developed a process for extensive carving on gourds that does not rely on green cleaning. Since she carves deeply and needs thick gourds, Patricia gets most of them from Welburn Gourd Farm. Read and see more |
Introducing Kathleen Janke
Making art has become a way of life for our Featured Artist, Kathleen Janke, of Townsend, Tennessee. Kathy dabbled in oil painting for decades before she added weaving baskets, and more specifically, weaving gourd baskets to her artistic pursuits. Read more 
Introducing Evy Eisele
Our Featured Artist for the Fall 2024 issue is Evy Eisele from Santa Rosa Valley in Southern California. Evy’s winning entry, an ET Carnival Cruise Ship, began to take shape following their UFO, “unfinished objects,” Gourd Retreat. Modeled after a similar San Diego event, no specific projects are planned for the retreat. Read and see more |
Introducing Marilyn Williams'
Gourd Story in Her Own Words. "My first encounter with gourd art was probably around 25 years ago. Someone gave my boss an intriguing gourd rattle that had The Ohio State logo painted on it. My interest was also sparked when I saw a gourd artist featured on The Carol Duval Show, a wonderful craft show that originated in 1994. Read more 
Introducing Lynda Smith
Our Featured Artist for the Spring 2025 issue was Lynda Smith from Dripping Springs, Texas. She has been creating gourd art for more than 30 years. Her entry for the Mixed Media theme, a vessel with an art nouveaux dragonfly, combines woodburning, filigree carving, alcohol based leather dyes, and acrylic paints. Read and see more |