Bonnie Gibson
Left Handed
Tracking Hon (Bear)
7 1/2"
H x 12" D
We are delighted to present
the elaborate gourd art of Arizona artist Bonnie Gibson!
Bonnie is a talented artist
whose chosen medium presents her with both an opportunity and
a challenge. Together with the elaborately painted murals, Bonnie
also carves and inlays the unique organic surface.
It is hard to fully appreciate
the level of detail and the diverse nature of the art from mere
photos alone. When Bonnie told me about her gourd art through
an email, and even after I saw photos of them, I couldn't have
been prepared for how exquisite they were in real life.
I had never seen gourds this
size before, so I naturally assumed that they were going to be
something that fit in the palm of my hand. Boy was I surprised!
The size and thickness of the gourd make it the perfect surface
for relief carving, and Bonnie's skill as a painter addresses
the canvass well.
Heishi inlay can be found
around the lower perimeter in turquoise. She has even used gold
foil to detail some of the most brilliant areas.
Bonnie focuses on her love
of nature and the Southwest as inspiration for her art. She has
been an active artist for many years and has done well at the
various shows she has entered, recently winning a blue ribbon
for similar work at a show in North Carolina.
Her interest in Native American
culture, and the Hopi in particular (as an avid pottery and kachina
collector), provided the impetus for a few of her latest creations.
This piece features the Left-handed
kachina tracking the Bear (or Hon). The detail in both
the kachina depiction and black bear profile are superb. Stylized
Hopi symbols appear throughout, while basket designs have been
relief carved into the surface of the gourd, giving it a unique
and realistic texture.
Waves of "sand"
have been carved into the surface of the gourd as well, adding
even more dimension to the piece and contributing to the artwork's
sense of place and time.
Other stones can be found
set into the piece throughout.
We feel that Bonnie's artwork
is a fitting tribute to the Hopi culture, and we are pleased
to present it. We hope that you'll admire it as much as we do.
Please feel free to give us
a call, as we'd be happy to discuss Bonnie's work with you or
send additional photos for inspection if you are interested.