Gourds fire the artist's imagination

Warwick — Claudia Pflueger, a graphic artist who resides in Warwick, was schooled in both graphics and fine arts at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. She grew up in the Chicago area, and later moved to Memphis, Tenn. She later traveled the world, and worked throughout the Midwest and Midsouth. While art has always been an obsession for her, it wasn’t until she experienced the fall colors of the Hudson Valley that she shifted her vision back to the fine arts. Pflueger experimented with photography, then oil painting, never seeming to find the perfect canvas in which to capture the natural beauty which enveloped her. It wasn’t until she happened upon a gourd farm that she knew she had found the perfect canvas. Like snowflakes, each gourd’s unique flowing lines and subtle curves offer natural beauty. After purchased the gourds, she begins the cleaning and drying process, often taking several months to complete. Then she experiments with various painting, carving, pine needle basketry, and pyography (wood burning) techniques. For each handcrafted gourd, she uses various colored dyes, oils, gilding, and adorning materials. For the Pflueger “gourd” experience, visit the Port of Call Gallery at 40 Main Street in Warwick. April hours are: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.