Art in your Eye was held last weekend, August 14 and 15, in Batavia, Illinois, along its reconstructed river walk. People could attend the festival with 70 different artists and take a stroll along the river walk path, or rent a paddle boat to observe the venerable Fox River up close. During the festival and other special events, the paddle-boat rental hours were extended to accommodate those who wished to enjoy the river in conjunction with the festivals offered. Experiencing nature with art is an extravagant fusion of the natural splendor of the outdoors with the composed beauty created by the artists. Artists Rosie and Dave Claus, have done exactly this, combining the two unique elements of nature and art together in their studio, Off the Vine Gourds.
 

Gourds in art, you ask? Some people may even ask: what is a gourd? A gourd is a fruit on a plant that is related to other similar plants, such as the ones that contain pumpkins or cucumbers. When a gourd becomes dried up, it hardens as strong as a laminate wood floor and can be cleaned out from the inside and decorated on the outside. This is exactly what Rosie and Dave Claus do. Click here for a picture of a dried gourd and here for a picture of a gourd on the vine.

Rosie and Dave shared a story about when they first realized that they truly could create a product that people wanted to purchase and use. Their son had asked them to bring some of their superbly crafted gourds to the Christmas Eve celebration of his and his wife’s families. The purpose was to display and show off the work that his parents had been completing - and every one that they brought was sold by the end of the Christmas Eve party that evening.
 

Rosie and Dave had been dating since their teenage years and ran into gourd art while on vacation several years ago. They discovered how to apply their own artistic talents to this naturally occurring fruit. Dave gets to do the messy work by cleaning out the inside of the gourd, preparing and staining the outside surface, making unique curved cuts off of the top, and drilling holes for Rosie to begin weaving atop the gourd. Rosie also applies other natural elements to the gourds by adding dried fungi, Kazuri beads (hand-made and painted ceramic beads from Kenya), Tibetan prayer beads, and other foliage. Their gourds are absolutely distinctive and stunning and won Best of Show at the Art in your Eye Festival. Additionally, they have won Best of Show in mixed media at both the Wheaton Cantigny Fine Art Festival and Art in the Barn Festival in Barrington, Illinois. If you missed the art of Rosie and Dave Claus please visit their tent at the upcoming Art in the Barn Festival in Barrington, Illinois, and the Riverwalk Fine Art Fair along the Naperville river walk.

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Be sure to visit upcoming art festivals in the Chicago area.
Bucktown Arts Fest– August 28 and August 29
Port Clinton Art Festival– August 28 and 29
African Festival of the Arts – September 3 through 6
Oakbrook Center Invitational Fine Arts Exhibition – September 4 and 5