Meet the Artist
Kim Black
3d Mixed Media
Kim Black is a gourd artist and pine needle basket artist. She is an avid gardener who finds continual joy in nature's creations and processes. This, along with her long-standing interest in indigenous art and culture, is where she draws inspiration for her work. For Kim, the two blend seamlessly together. She started over 40 years ago as a pine needle basket maker. Her venture into gourd art has allowed her to blend her love of basketry and indigenous cultures. Kim loves combining indigenous inspired images with such an ancient vessel as a gourd and adding fibers and embellishments. Unique characteristics of each gourd requires flexibility and adaptations of the design ideas which makes the creative process extremely fun and challenging. Kim’s work has been shown at the Vista House Gallery at Crown Point, The University of Oregon's Museum of Natural History in Eugene, The Sister's Gallery, Sisters Oregon and Amish Furnishings in Eugene.
All of Kim’s designs are first wood burned. She then uses transparent archival inks and acrylic paint to add color. Some gourds are carved and textured. Combined, these techniques add a three-dimensional aspect to the design. Many of the gourds are embellished with rims woven from pine needles.