All Kiva Artists
Kiva Fine Art
El Centro de Santa Fe
102 East Water Street
Santa Fe, NM 87501505-820-7413
505-820-7414 (fax)
info@kivaindianart.com
Connie Mygatt
"The hardshell gourd is an inedible fruit. The gourd has been serving a variety of functional purposes for many cultures for thousands of years. Native Americans use them as dippers, ladles, cooking pots, shovels, water containers and for storage.
The portraits and many of the images in my work are inspired by my respect, appreciation and interest in Native American culture and art. Of particular interest are the images found on rock walls. These images are called petroglyphs if incised into the rock, or pictographs if painted on the surface of the rock. Rock art can be seen throughout the United States, as well as other parts of the world.
The images on these gourds are burned into the surface of the gourd with a wood burning tool. Dye is used to stain and paint the gourd. Many of the gourds are also embellished with natural materials. Color variation on the gourd is due to the natural effects of the curing process. This variation, the shape and size of the gourd provide the creative stimulus for the finished piece."