Library Features Out of Our Gourds   Clifton Forge, VA (Oct. 14, 2018) - The Clifton Forge Public Library is pleased to feature a display by local artist Lisa Petrosky, owner of Out of Our Gourds. The display features “beautiful art from the earth” and includes decorative bowls, birdhouses, and vases. Mrs. Petrosky began working with gourds when her children were still young. As a homeschooling mom, she wanted to do something creative that she could do at home and that would supplement the household income. “More importantly,” she says, “I wanted to include my kids. In the process, they were able to grow gourds and to learn the artistic and creative parts of the process.” Launching a business did not come easy. “At first,” Mrs. Petrosky says, “I was very timid and shy about starting a business. I started slowly.” After learning the basics, Mrs. Petrosky began working with the design process, experimenting with techniques, and determining what colors to use. “Seeing it all come together as a finished product and seeing people actually loving what I created and buying it,” she says, “boosted my confidence. It became easier. It became a business known as Out of Our Gourds.” She continues, “My husband Tony even got excited about the process and he actually grows our gourds. He also grew a new gourd this year which I hope to have available at the Kriskindlmarkt. That will be a surprise addition to this years’ display.” “And that’s not all,” she says. “Tony, who is Puerto Rican, also made a shekere, which is a Yoruban percussion instrument used extensively in the Caribbean.” It is showcased in the display. Mrs. Petrosky makes a variety of items from the gourds, including earrings and necklaces from tinier ones that are about an inch long or less. She also does seasonal creations. “One of my first snowmen,” she says, “was shown at the Warm Springs Milk House Market. A couple from Alaska came in and spotted my first – and only – edition of a Chocolate Snowman. He was very unique. The couple got so excited! They said they had a place to put him in their chalet by the lake where they lived. They bought him and were treating him like a little son or something, like a special thing.” She continues, “It was surprising to me as I didn’t think anyone would even like him. He has number one written on the bottom and the year, and he also has a nice handmade checkered scarf that Leah, one of my daughters, knitted. I still make snowmen and am considering making more chocolate ones.” Mrs. Petrosky sells her gourds through various venues, including local craft shows and through her Facebook business page, OutOfOurGourds. She will be selling gourds at the newly established art gallery, Art2, located on Main Street in Covington. She is also a consistent vendor at the Clifton Forge School of the Arts’ annual Kriskindlmarkt, which will be held on November 16-17 in the Old Mill. “I am always thinking of new ideas and new ways to implement my ideas on the gourds,” Mrs. Petrosky concludes. “It’s fun to grow them and to come up with ideas of what each unique shape could be. Seeing people and especially children get excited over them makes it a really neat thing to do.” Out of Our Gourds will be on display throughout the month of October. The Clifton Forge Public Library is located at 535 Church Street. For information on any library program, call 863-2519.

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