The Uncommon Gourd

http://www.roseysuncommongourd.com

Artisan: Rosey Bolte

Medium:  Folk-Painted Gourds and Hand-Painted Wooden Pin Jewelry

“I think that people can see how I am inspired by my surroundings when they come to my Brown County studio.”

Rosey Bolte’s dad introduced her to the idea of painting on gourds in 1986. “He brought a gourd from the family farm in Tipton County to my house in Brown County, suggesting I give it a try,” Rosey says. “I quickly discovered the many beautiful things one can create with a gourd.” Rosey is a self-taught artist who is inspired by the natural shapes of the gourds, but is also influenced by her trips to Mexico and the American Southwest. “I am in the authentic tradition of folk artists who developed their own style, which originates outside of formal instruction,” Rosey explains.

Raised on a farm in northern Indiana, she has lived in Brown County for most of her adult life, and her art emerges from her surroundings. “I have always loved the hills, the colorful trees & the wildlife,” Rosey says. For many of her gourds, she uses a Sassafras twig, and near her studio, there are many Sassafras trees with fallen limbs for her to choose from. “My hiking in the woods is a business trip!” Rosey adds. Her gourds also come from her impressive garden. Lately, she’s been experimenting with new ways of growing the gourds she uses in her artwork. “I’m working with new methods & timing for sprouting the gourd seeds,” Rosey says, “as well as bed preparation, watering & weed control.”  

After harvesting the gourds, drying them and cleaning them, Rosey sculpts with Paperclay on the gourds to create the shapes of her roosters and hens, as well as songbirds, owls, foxes, and cats. Over the 30 years she has made gourd art, she has never stopped inventing. Lately she’s been expanding the varieties of birds and animals she makes, as well as working in new color palettes. Rosey also creates holiday themed gourds, including Halloween ghouls, Day of the Dead, and Woodland Santas.