Gorgeous Gourds

241 Serpentine Avenue
Sequim, WA 98382-8917

360-582-9549

360-809-0730

Directions: From Sequim, north on Sequim Ave 1.5 mi beyond traffic circle, R on Woodcock Road (0.6 mi), L on Serpentine Ave (0.2 mi) to #241.

bertalea@hotmail.com
 
Roberta Cooper’s artistic endeavors began in 1974 with fabricated and cast jewelry designs in fine metals. Her silver and chrysoprase ring earned 1st Award in the Crafts category of the 1977 Baylor University College of Medicine employee’s competition, Interpretations 6. She was a member of Archway Gallery, a cooperative gallery in Houston, Texas, where her one-person show featured her jewelry and copper enameling.
She collaborated with Donald Fox in a two-person show at the University of Houston downtown campus’ Blaffer Gallery. She participated in invitational shows at a number of galleries in Houston, as well as having a piece accepted in a juried show at the O’Kane Gallery, University of Houston main campus.After thirty years of working in fine metals, Roberta turned to gourd art. “I wanted a softer medium, with more colors and textures. I love sitting with the gourds, holding and turning them, letting them tell me how to adorn them. The organic form of the gourds and their markings dictate how to heighten their natural beauty.” Through a combination of dye and transparent paint, I produced a rich cordovan–my signature color. I often bind pine needles to the rim, the deep color of the gourd enhancing the soft natural color of the needles. The nubs (where the needles attached to the tree) create another color and visual texture. Additional techniques I use include wood burning and carving.” Combining her background in metals with gourds, Roberta has incorporated copper wire as a sculptural element, hammered copper sheet paired with pheasant feathers as well as adding jute cords and leather. She recycled copper tubing from a hot water heater gas line binding it to the rim of a gourd. Awaiting new life as an adornment is a used faucet with corrugated copper tubing, soon to become the antennae of ET! She has recycled designs from her jewelry sketch books and applied them to gourds. Roberta has been represented by Adam Whitney Gallery in Omaha, Nebraska, and Olympic Art Gallery in Quilcene, Washington. Her pine needle gourd art appeared in the Sequim Arts Member Show where it received the Second Place People’s Choice Award.I have thoroughly enjoyed bridging design elements from jewelry to gourds. Come visit me during the Studio Tour. I will be demonstrating the pine needle rim technique. Watch me transform gourds into art!”