Her love of art began with her mother, who is part Cherokee, born in Oklahoma. For a while, it lay dormant.
When a friend gave Laura Haverman a piece of gourd art, she decided to give it a shot. So she found a gourd and created her first piece, which captured her imagination. Since then, she has never looked back.
"I haven't stopped taking classes since," she said. "I love the southwest style of art. The use of colors and styles that are common with Native American culture are so inspiring. It's my passion."
Gourd art involves creating works of art, using hard shell gourds as a medium. Depending on the species, the surface may be etched, carved, painted, dyed, sanded, burned or polished, she explained.
Over the years, Haverman took classes from noted instructors to include Bonnie Gibson and master gourd artist Robert Rivera, whose studio is located in Placitas, N.M. His work has been on display in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
When she begins a project, she takes gourds she has either grown or purchased from Arizona and California then dries them for six to nine months. After soaking them overnight, she scrubs the fungus off and takes the seeds from the inside. From there, her creative juices begin to flow, making everything from jugs, Christmas ornaments, butterfly maidens, dolls from snake gourds, as well as masks, using feathers, gems and small twigs. Her materials also include pieces of granite, antlers and items she weaves into the gourd.
And for her efforts, she has won various ribbons, including a first place from the Pueblo Art Guild, as well in the fine arts category at the Colorado State Fair. Her gourd work is also on display in several places, including Santa Fe, N.M., Worldwide Treasures in Florence, Pueblo Southwest Trading Co. in Pueblo and El Dorado Gallery of Fine Art in Old Colorado City.
"Unless you're involved in gourd art, you have no idea what it takes to create a piece from scratch," Haverman said. "I have come a long way in my gourd art and I strive to get better with each new piece I create."
But she said she could not do it without her husband, Don's support.
"He's my rock," Haverman said.
In the future, she plans to host an open house in her studio for the public to view her artwork.
For more information or to make custom orders, email Haverman at laurahav@aol.com.
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