Devon's studio in upstate New York is filled with creative energy, as is the artist herself. Though she has enjoyed modest success with her work on canvas and wood, it is her delightfully whimsical gourd creations that have won acclaim. Since discovering the natural wonder of gourds and the thrill of partnering with Mother Nature in 2002, Devon has attended the following juried shows and exhibitions: Arts and Crafts Festival at Lincoln Center, The Arts Festival at Rockefeller Center, Westport Creative Arts Festival, and Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit. In addition, this award-winning artist has been featured in the following publications: a folk-art feature in The Crafts Report; pictures of a "Gourdaments" Santa in Giftware News; a human-interest item in The Times Herald Record entitled "Fruit of Artist's Labor Pays Off." Featured photographs can be seen in The Gourd, a publication of the American Gourd Society. Look for Devon in the May/June issue of Crafts Business magazine in an article written by Nancy LaFever and in an upcoming article in Country Business Magazine. For a list of galleries and shops that currently carry Gourdaments please follow this link. When she is not embellishing gourds, Devon practices her other passion, Music Therapy, and nurtures her most precious creations, her 4- year- old son, and 5- year- old daughter.

How a gourd becomes a Gourdament: Hard-shelled gourds belong to the Cucurbitaceae family. They grow on long vines with curling tendrils, and the type used to create Gourdaments are as hard as wood. Curing cucurbita gourds is a two-step process which may take 1 to 6 months. During this time, the skin hardens, the exterior color of the gourd is set, and internal drying commences. Adequate curing is achieved when the gourd becomes light in weight and the seeds can be heard rattling inside. There are hundreds of gourd shapes, no two exactly alike. Gourdaments typically evolve from kettle, martin house, bushel, or tobacco box gourds. The artist, working in concert with Mother Nature, adds acrylic paint, leather dye, and clay to bring forth the spirit residing within each vessel. Finally, each gourd is triple varnished to enrich and protect the artist's work.