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ceremonial gourd

A dried gourd with intricate fine lines drawn on it. Close-up view of a dried gourd with intricate fine lines drawn on it.

In 1999, I met a healer named Stuart while studying writing at the Esalen Institute. He insisted that as a shaman, I needed one of his dried gourds, needed a rattle of my own making. I chose this one with my eyes closed. It took months for an idea for decorating it to emerge.

The OpArt design is one I drew frequently as a teenager. Back then I made the design on large poster paper. Drawing on a spherical object was challenging. But I put my head down and worked at it a few hours at a time using India ink art pens of three different nib sizes.

I finished the drawing on 5/31/2000 while studying writing with Deena Metzger at her home in Pine Mountain, California. As I had not thoroughly sanded the gourd surface, resident mold began to overtake my ink lines. This growth process was stopped by the application of an enamel clear coat. The gourd has yet to be completed - black dyed split rawhide will be wrapped around the "handle" and the bowl will be filled with grains, crystals, tiny bells, fresh water pearls etc. Hope springs eternal!

ceremonial gourd
cathy williams carroll
may 2000
4" wide, 9" high
dried gourd, India ink, clear finish

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