Art is a fantastic thing, and comes in as many forms and mediums as the human mind can imagine. One artist known as Marilyn Sunderland is breaking the scene with a line of amazing carved gourds. Having lived her life studying art and nature, she's taken advantage of the ability of a dried gourd to be carved like wood, and turned them into these unimaginable works of art.
Roses are some of natures most beautiful expressions, coming in every color of the rainbow, and a myriad of different sizes and shapes. Marilyn took the already beautiful, if fleeting, rose and worked it into the timeless beauty of this gourd.
Shape, style, and color, they all come together in this magnificent piece. Drawing on some of the best contrasting and complimentary colors available, this piece is simply a phenomenal expression of her art.
Gourds are commonly associated with autumn, being the origin of the Jack-O-Lanterns used in halloween celebrations. Here another sign of autumn, beautiful gold, orange, and yellow leaves, have been worked into the gourd in a masterful stroke of art.
Taking the art to the next level, this piece takes advantage of the resilience of dried gourd to create fantastic empty spaces, which results in a graceful and beautiful piece.
Turning away from the autumnal roots of gourds, this piece brings to mind the bright green fields of spring, with the birds in the air and the freshly budding leaves spreading open to catch the newly arisen sun. A twist on her normal themes of golds and oranges, this piece is none-the-less beautiful.
Who can see the bright sunny yellow head of a sunflower and not think of the closing days of summer? Rich with the black sunflower seed, they're the source of some truly delicious snacking. Here that emblem of summers end is forever displayed on the side of this wonderful piece.
Chrysanthemum's are some of the most complex flowers in nature, possessing hundreds if not thousands of individual petals in a brilliant poof of airy color. The contrast of the sturdy lasting nature of the gourd and the delicate and fleeting life of the flower seems to be the theme of this piece, and what a beauty it is.
America stands for the freedom to be yourself, and to express yourself in whatever way you choose. Well Marilyn chose to express her patriotism in this highly detailed work of art. The eagle is absolutely stunning, so finely detailed it looks like it's about to leap off the gourd and into flight to defend freedom.
Farms are at their most active in fall, when the harvest is coming in and everything is hustle and bustle to beat the first frost. Every morning the farmer is greeted by the call of his faithful rooster, announcing the coming of a new day, and promising freshly laid eggs to fuel the hard-working farmer. Her appreciation of the fundamental lifestyle of the family farm is evident in this tribute to one of it's most recognizable icons.
Rich reds and golds emphasize the beauty of the delicate lines in this piece.
