Aloha and Welcome!

I've been fascinated by gourds since 2003.
After looking at a red-painted birdhouse in a book my aunt had sent us,
without any experience in carving, painting or even drawing, I just had to get a gourd, picked up the tools we had and just like that, I was addicted! (Nobody had warned me!)

Five years later, it's still a hobby rather than a business.

Gourd is a beautiful gift from nature. It takes about six months to grow and six more months to cure them.
They have been an important part of history of many cultures throughout the world and still play an important role in the Hawai'ian culture. They're used widely in the hula dance and traditional chants.

I have a high respect for gourds. They're beautiful as they are and when working with them, I try hard to preserve the beauty of their natural shapes, textures, unique characters and flaws by designing them accordingly. The last thing I want to do is taking away the gourd's natural beauty. 

I have been using paints that last and better suit even the Hawai'ian humid and sunny weather.

The beautiful tropical flowers, leaves and the gentlest creature, the giant green sea turtles here on the islands give me inspirations for the designs. Most of my work are carved or woodburned, some cut-out. They're all done right on my lanai (deck) at my home, here in Hawai'i. Each design is original and freehand, sketched one at a time.

To see what's available at this time, please visit the What's Available page

If you have a non-island designs or different styles in mind, I'll be glad to introduce you to my wonderful gourder friends. I have a lot of wonderful gourder friends who specialize in different things, such as human figures and Native Americans that I'm fond of but not good at. I would be happy to ask them to contact you directly.

What's New:

Nautilus Gourd Ocean Drum

Hear the ocean.........

Close your eyes and rock it gently in a circular motion

Thank you for visiting and talking story with me at Martin & MacArthur Ala Moana recently.

Vacation:
I will be away from the islands starting June 26th - July 7th, 2008.
I might be able to check my e-mail from time to time but my cell phone will not be in service
The gourd studio will be closed until the end of August
Mahalo and have a fun and safe summer!

~Island Crafts~
I've been working with natural seed pod earrings. The dolphin earrings might bring you back the sweet childhood memories if you grew up on the islands. I have also been working with palm barks of different sizes to make short table vases to tall floor vases. To view what's done so far, please visit Island Crafts
I will continue to work with natural island material.

~Book~
Thank you Jim Widess and Ginger Summit for writing yet another wonderful gourd book, Making Gourd Dolls and Spirit Figures, released in June 2007 and thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of it. 

They're back from Arizona where it won a red ribbon at the 2008 Wuertz Festival.

 
Polynesian Mother and Child
All naturally embellished

The mother is a lidded bowl and the baby, a scooper
The mother's hair is untwisted seagrass, headpiece, dried leaves and palm stalks and the flower ear pick is a broken pine cone. 

 
       Baby Scooper                    Mother's Bowl Body
The belly is open, hair is heliconia seeds.         'Ulu (breadfruit) design, 
                                                                   an important staple, also a symbol 
                                                                   of families taking care of each other 
                                                                    and never let each other go hungry 
                                                                    or uncared for.
                                                                        The design on the bottom is
                                                                               the symbol of 'aina (land) 
                                                                       and the background, "turtle shell" burning.

Mahalo for visiting!