Bonnie Gibson
Parrot Emblems
9" 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 merely
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 dresses the
canvass well.
There is such incredible depth
in her work. The parrot kachina in this particular piece seems
to be emerging from the plaza backdrop. The heishi inlay can
be found around the upper and lower perimeter in turquoise and
shell. 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 Parrot
in its various forms. The Parrot kachina figures prominently
along the foremost panel, while a pottery motif depicts a stylized
parrot (complete with inlaid turquoise), and realistic parrot
images finish off the piece. Bonnie even included a piece of
parrot "rock art," as part of the Southwestern or Native
American "tie in." A large parrot feather picks up
the design again, just prior to the Parrot kachina.
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.
The lid is also made up of
crushed turquoise inlay, while other stones can be found set
into the piece throughout. Stylized Hopi symbols appear as well,
while basket designs have been relief carved into the surface
of the gourd, giving it a unique and realistic texture.
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.