A gallery of gourds

When Melynda Lotven moved into her new home off O’Neal Road in Columbia, she found grit-covered gourds in a heap of rubble.

They seemed worthless, but with a short soak in hot water and a good scrubbing, they led to a change of career for the self-taught artist.

“I scrubbed, painted and fell in love,” Lotven said.

Following up on a neighbor’s suggestion, Lotven decided to paint her scrubbed gourds.

Lotven’s artistic background is well-honed. Her mother was an artist, and her grandmother was an art teacher. Lotven’s talent as a water colorist translated well to the gourd surface.

That was 13 years ago. Today, painting gourds is a full-time job. She often paints more than a dozen gourds in one day to fill an order.

Her love of gourds is undeniable with one visit to her home. Many different painted and unpainted gourds clutter her front porch, kitchen and living room. However, none of her art is completely alike.

For this time of year, Santa Claus is the main inspiration. Although some of the Santas are painted on the same shape of gourd, their eyes are all different.

“An artist once told me,” Lotven said, “‘If you got the eyes, then you got it.’” Her gift stretches beyond Christmas themes. Her designs include animals, such as flamingos, dogs, cows and squirrels, and birdhouses.

She has even done some of what she called “bizarre” requests. A woman in Michigan asked Lotven to paint a picture of her son, who is a corrections officer. In another example, a New York acting coach asked Lotven to paint her and her friends’ fairy spiritual guides, based on a description they each gave of their mystical creature.

Her requests are received either at the many craft shows and fairs Lotven attends or by her Web site at justgourds.com. Requests have come from as far away as Iceland.

Once Lotven receives a request, she does not just pick any gourd and start painting. She is a perfectionist and waits for the exact one.

“It always comes to me,” Lotven said.

“It is all about playing and having fun,” Lotven said. “The gourd will tell you what it wants; just listen.”

Standard varieties of gourd grow in 33 shapes with crossbreeds adding even more options. All the different shapes are a blank slate calling for a different design, she said.

However, the most common question that Lotven hears is not about her art but the art form.

One cannot just paint any gourd, but a dried gourd. Dried for six months to one year, the gourd will have a hard shell that can be painted. The ideal place for drying is anywhere there are no mice because they will nibble the gourd to make a nest inside it.

Lotven got her fresh gourds from Russell and Joyce Sapp, who have since turned over the farming to their son Keith Sapp.

Lotven connected to the Sapps when she saw gourds piled around a tree in the Sapps’ yard in Hartsburg. Lotven promptly knocked on the door and asked if the gourds were for sale. She bought the whole pile for $50. The couple invited her to participate in the 1992 Pumpkin Festival in Hartsburg.

“She is very talented,” said Joyce Sapp, founder of the annual Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival. “Her art is extremely beautiful.”

Keith Sapp said, “Before I knew it, it became a sole hobby just for Melynda.”

Gourds are easy to grow, he said, and planting the seeds in a specific spot is optional. Sometimes gourds just spring up from cascaded seeds, he said.

Since she started painting gourds, Lotven founded a Missouri chapter of the American Society of Gourds, an organization solely devoted to all things about gourds. The group organizes activities and competitions for gourd enthusiasts.

Also, Lotven is a member of the Best of Missouri Hands which focuses on introducing Missouri artists.

Lotven also is a foster parent for the Central Humane Society, although she has six dogs of her own.

“I once was phoned for the game show ‘The Weakest Link,’” Lotven said. “They needed to know the difference between a squash and a gourd.”

Lotven also has been featured in the magazine Country Woman and The Columbia Tribune, and she provides frequent visits to the local TV show “Pepper and Friends.”

Lotven; her husband, Tony; and her three children still reside in the same country home where she first found the gourds.

Her family has always pitched in with the gourds. They will either clean or pack Lotven’s gourds for festivals. Her children also enjoy recreationally painting gourds.

Lotven signs all her gourds on the bottom with a heart engulfing a peace sign. This symbol reminds Lotven of sharing the gift of love and loyalty.

Joyce Sapp agrees with Lotven’s view.

“She is very cheerful, loving and happy,” Joyce Sapp said.

Lotven said she appreciates everything that the Sapp family has done for her. However, Lotven is most appreciative to the builders who left the gourds on her front porch. They allowed her to flourish in her artistic abilities, start an organization, gain close friends and share her art with the world.