Man Harvests Art For All Seasons
Thomas Orjala likes ‘em twisted, gnarly, pocked. The fatter the better. Long, skinny necks are best.
For art projects, that is.
“A blank sheet of paper is threatening to non-artists. It’s perfect,” Thomas says, admiring the painted gourd in his hand. “Gourds have bumps. They’re irregular. People aren’t afraid to do something with them.”
Thomas’ attachment to gourds has grown over the past three years. He draws stars and moons with marking pens on the hard tan bulbs. He cuts holes in them, pours in gravel or dried corn, corks the holes and makes noise.
He cuts them into dippers, paints them for ornaments, washes them until his fingers ache. Like pumpkins, they grow in summer and autumn on vines. They dry on the vine over winter from the inside out. By spring, mold and dirt are as much a part of the tough shell as the dusty color.
Thomas is a dabbler who for years enviously watched his children create clay and watercolor masterpieces at Coeur d’Alene’s Art on the Green. He decided in 1993 that the arts festival needed a place for adults to stretch their artistic side. A friend suggested gourds for grown-ups.
Thomas ordered 300 for the three-day festival. They disappeared quickly. Last year, Thomas ordered 550 and ran out just as quickly. This year, he ordered 1,000. They were gone by the middle of the second day.
Now Thomas grows hundreds of gourds of his own on five acres south of Coeur d’Alene. They hang from fencing and clutter the ground like cast-off Chianti jugs. The climate here isn’t ideally humid enough for gourds, but for some reason Thomas’ thrive.
He’s joined the American Gourd Society and prunes constantly for the best yield. Gourds aren’t a money crop, but they do fulfill Thomas’ gardening and artistic callings.
“You have to grow a lot to make a living,” he says, cradling a long-necked, fat-bulbed baby in his palm. “It’s a kind of meditation for me. I get to know my plants, wish them well. Gourds stay with you.”
On the Christmas tree, bookshelves, kitchen counters …
Hey there, Little Red Riding Hood
It’s not often Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack in the Beanstalk and Rapunzel stumble into the same story. But that’s what happens in “Into the Woods,” and it’s a howl.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens after “happily ever after,” this is your show. Will Coeur d’Alene favorites Roger Welch, Julie Powell, Laura Seable, Jeff Waggoner of “Amazing Grace” fame and Bob Brannan make it out of the woods? Buy a ticket to the Lake City Playhouse production and see. This one is as much fun for adults as kids.
Tickets are $6-$10. The show opens at 8 p.m. Friday. Call 667-1323.
Art sense
Money doesn’t have to stand between you and art lessons, at least not in Post Falls. Classes in rubber stamping, African dance, cartooning, painting, basketry, calligraphy, Lithuanian batik eggs and fly-tying range from $5-$13.
The Post Falls Arts Commission hunted down teachers, scheduled the classes and found workshop space so people could try whatever art their little hearts desire.
Space is limited, so call 777-9278 soon or wait for spring classes.
Worth the trip
Claudia Childress just moved back to Prichard after living in Moscow for seven years.
But she’ll head back to Genesee for “the very best smoked sausage,” to Potlatch for furniture and to Pullman for her family’s photo portraits. Now that’s loyalty.
What’s the farthest you’ve traveled for something you can’t miss, and what is it that made you go so far? A concert? The best chocolate in the world? One-of-a-kind boots?
Confess those irresistible urges to Cynthia Taggart, “Close to Home,” 608 Northwest Blvd., Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814; fax, 765-7149; or call 765-7128.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo