07/29/2026
For a whale of a good time, check out this gourd. WOW. This was shared by the Pacific Northwest Gourd Studio- Doug Shafer. What a beautiful art piece. I hope this inspires you all in some way.
Have a blessed and creative day.
Spotlight on Pacific Northwest Gourd Artists-Terry Cunningham
“Every artist has a story. Every gourd helps tell it.” — Doug Shafer
About the Artist
For Terry Cunningham, every gourd begins with a question: What can this become?
Inspired by the natural materials of the Pacific Northwest, Terry combines carving, pyrography, and found objects to transform gourds into unique sculptures that reveal the unexpected forms hidden within.
Artist Q&A
How did you first discover gourd art?
After moving to Oregon with my long lost love of 43 years, Kathy Allen, I became interested in the gourds she was growing. Before long, I was experimenting and discovering what I could create with them.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Most of my ideas come from challenging myself. I’ll look at a gourd and ask, “What can this become structurally?”
What is your favorite technique and why?
I enjoy cutting, carving, shaping, and combining gourds with found or repurposed materials. There’s something satisfying about taking an idea and building it into something real.
How has living in the Pacific Northwest influenced your art?
The Pacific Northwest gives me both the space to create and an endless supply of natural materials that often become part of my work.
What advice would you give to someone new to gourd art?
Don’t chase perfection. Every gourd is different, and that’s part of what makes this art form so interesting.
Featured Piece:
Ascension
“Ascension” began while I was cleaning the previous year’s gourd crop. One gourd immediately caught my eye—I could see the shape of a whale hidden inside it. I paired it with a weathered burl that reminded me of a rocky reef and mounted it on a piece of old cedar fence wood.
Through carving, shaping, structural work, and pyrography, the whale gradually emerged. The finished piece captures a moment of upward movement and grace, as if the whale is rising from the depths toward the surface.
For me, Ascension reflects one of the most rewarding parts of gourd art: seeing something unexpected in an ordinary gourd and bringing that vision to life.
Where to Find the Artist
You can find Terry and Kathy’s artwork through Katerra Arts on Facebook and at art shows and craft events throughout the Florence, Yachats, and Eugene areas of Oregon.
