Bonnie Drake to demonstrate gourd carving Saturday at Berea
STAFF REPORT
Bonnie Drake
Tuesday, June 7, 2011, 2:15 p.m. — On Saturday, June 11, Bonnie Drake of Bloomfield will demonstrate carving gourds and how she attaches philodendron leaves to the rim of her gourds from 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea.
In 1993 Bonnie Drake stopped painting on canvas and began painting exclusively on gourds. She grows all her own gourds, over 10,000 per year of some twenty different varieties. The gourds she most commonly uses are the Martin House Gourd, the Banana gourd, and the Apple gourd. Sometimes Bonnie cuts the top off the gourd to make a bowl; other times the gourd is left whole.
As Bonnie travels around Kentucky, she sketches and takes photographs of scenes she’d like to paint. After drawing her image with pencil, she uses a tool called a detail master, a long very thin hot needle, to etch her images on the gourd. She then uses acrylic paint, marbler clay, and watercolor pencils to add color to the surface. An acrylic sealer is used to finish off the gourds.
Gourds by Bonnie Drake are regularly available at the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea, located at 200 Artisan Way, just off Interstate 75 at exit 77 (Berea). The center’s exhibits, shopping and travel information areas are all open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the café from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The center currently features works by more than 650 artisans from 100 counties across the Commonwealth and two special exhibitions. In the lobby of the center is an exhibit titled, LaVon Williams: Kentucky Folk Artist on display through Aug. 1, and in the main gallery is the exhibit, Kentucky Guild of Artists & Craftsmen: Works by Juried Members through Aug. 20, 2011.
For more information call 859-985-5448 or visit the center’s website atwww.kentuckyartisancenter.ky.gov.
The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea is an agency in the Kentucky Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet.
-30-
