Meet the Artist
Kim Black
3d Mixed Media
Kim Black is a gourd and pine needle basket artist who finds inspiration in nature and her long-standing interest in indigenous art and culture. An avid gardener, she finds continual joy and wonder in nature's creations and processes. She began as a pine needle basket maker over 40 years ago and has since blended her love of basketry with gourd art, combining indigenous-inspired images with the ancient vessel of the gourd. The unique characteristics of each gourd require flexibility and adaptation, making the creative process both fun and challenging. Her work is currently shown at the Vista House Gallery at Crown Point, The Museum of Natural History in Eugene, Sisters Gallery, Aspen Grove Gallery in Joseph, and Amish Fine Furnishings in Eugene.
Materials and tools used include: gourds with wood-burned designs, colored with transparent archival inks and acrylic paint. Some gourds are carved and textured to add a three-dimensional aspect, and many are embellished with rims woven from pine needles or other natural fibers. She uses similar techniques for her wall art pieces, which are created from large gourd shards and mounted in 11 x 14 or 9 x 9 frames.