Day 21 - Fairburn Gourd

[vilakins]

Today's naarmamo drawing is another quick one because I've been out (unwillingly) for most of the day and I'm going out this evening.

Decorated Gourd with a History



This gourd is quite large (40 cm / 15 inches tall) and has a history. I don't suppose most of you have heard of the NZ poet A R D Fairburn, who was once served a nasty cuppa at Mercer railway station and said memorably that "The squalid tea of Mercer is not strained." I think of this just about every time I drive through Mercer. :-) Anyway his brother Geoffrey Fairburn was an artist, as was Geoffrey's wife Jean, and he decorated two gourds and gave one to me and one to my sister many years ago when they lived next door to us. I feel especially honoured to know that he also gave a gourd like this to the NZ embassy in London. The pattern is very muted, but I think I succeeded in giving an idea of it.

Oh wow, look, here's a gourd he did, and another very pretty one! Maybe I should insure mine.

My NaArMaMo 2009 Gallery is here.