Rutherford Reader Featured Artist 2009

Joan Blackwell—the Woodbury Gourd Lady

One never knows where life will take us. Just ask Joan Blackwell. Originally from North Carolina and having lived in Northern Virginia for 36 years, she had never heard of the quaint little town of Woodbury, Tennessee. She certainly never dreamed she would someday live among the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee. Her career as a management analyst in the Department of Defense contracting arena made for long days and nightmarish commutes at the end of the long workdays. Residing in a Virginia suburb just outside Metro Washington D.C., her life was busy, with the routine predictable.

But the twists and turns of life sometimes make for a very winding path. Joan’s path was abruptly halted and sent into a tailspin in 1998. She had parked her car and was crossing the street when a drunk driver hit her and left her in the street unconscious. The near-fatal hit-and-run left permanent injuries. She was flown to a nearby trauma center. During flight, her heart was restarted. She was in a llevel 13 coma for several days and left the hospital 17 days later.  The head injury resulted in permanent neurological damage.  She suffered a perforated colon and replacement of the ACL, PCL, and MCL to her right knee.  These injuries resulted in intensive reconstructive surgery and physical therapy.  After a gallant attempt to return to work, which turned out to be too exhausting, both mentally and physically --- Blackwell was forced into early retirement. 

Retirement from work, that is.  Joan is fully engaged in life, stretching each day to its limit. She’s been a frequent guest speaker at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, sharing the story of her extensive injuries at the hand of a drunk driver. She hopes that hearing the reality of her painful and long road back to recovery will serve as a reminder to others to not “drink and drive.”

She’s an avid flower gardener, the mother of two – one daughter, one son --- and grandmother to 7.  She joyously anticipates the arrival of the eighth grandchild in just a few weeks.  That joy is compounded by the impending return of her son, an Army pilot, due home from overseas just in time for the birth of his second son.  Joan’s days are spent “doing what I love to do, painting art on gourds and working on various art projects.”  She’s very active in volunteer work including helping the elderly and teaching art classes.  Many hours each week are spent cooking (another of her favorite pastimes) --- nearby neighbors enjoy the fruits of her labor in the kitchen.  Wonderful neighbors are another reason Joan is so thrilled with her newly adopted “hometown” where it seems all the ‘unfriendly people must have left town long ago.’ Joan claims one nearby neighbor and longtime Woodbury resident as her own “Woodbury Mom.”  According to Joan, one would be hard-pressed to find a more compassionate and genuine soul than her friend, Louise Melton. It was Louise Melton who first introduced Joan to gourds.  While visiting together one day, Joan noticed the unusually shaped shell of a fruit in her garden. She was fascinated by the hard outer shell and its unique shape. 

Miss Louise gave it to her and she brought it home and made a vase for her son.  Using acrylic paints in earth tones and a coat of glaze, she presented the finished product to her son.  He was impressed by the artistry and suggested she continue to design and create gourd artwork.  

Blackwell’s flair for the handicraft was apparent and her interest in the art grew as she researched various design techniques.  As her collection increased, so did her expertise.  Using her Native American heritage as an influence, Joan created spirit dolls and tribal masks with colorful regalia.  She’s learned to ‘just look around her’ to gather decorative designs and ideas from magazines, books, and common everyday objects like a coffee mug.  Color patterns are gleaned from nature’s palette.  Each creation is unique taking 2 to 3 days from start to finish.  The detailed painting is just the final step in the months-long process which actually begins with a single seed. Some interesting facts about Gourds:

The spiny, sticky pollen is not windborne and requires insects for pollination. The most common pollinator insects appear to be beetles and bees. Gourds are classified as a warm-season crop with a growing season from 100 to 180 days. Gourds are ready for harvest when the stems dry and turn brown. It is best to harvest gourds before frost. Curing gourds is a two-step process that may take 3 to 6 months depending on the type and size of the gourd. Surface drying is the first step in the curing process, and takes approximately one week. Internal drying is the second step in curing and takes a minimum of four weeks. Cured gourds can be painted, waxed, or decorated. Gourds have been cultivated for thousands of years by many cultures worldwide, including Native Americans.  Gourd are known for their usefulness as utensils, storage containers, and as ornaments. Gourds are related to melons, squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers, all members of the Cucurbitaceous or Cucumber family. One Internet reference reports evidence that the hard outer shell of the gourd was used in earlier times to replace missing parts of skulls as part of primitive surgery.  So, it’s quite fascinating to learn about the life of Joan Blackwell, also known as the Gourd Lady of Woodbury.  Although a resident of the area for less than two years, her footprint is firmly entrenched in the rocky soil.  With family nearby and newly-made friends, she’s right at home.  She’s an active member of the Church of Christ at Woodbury and recently spent several days at Short Mountain Bible Camp teaching the youngsters about gourd art. Her inviting yard is filled with perennials and annuals and her home is influenced with the work of her hands. From the brightly painted hues on her walls (that she, herself, chose and applied -- sleeping for two  months on the floor during renovations) to the wide array of gourd artwork proudly displayed alongside family photos on the living room shelves, Joan Blackwell is surrounded by the things she loves.  The old saying goes, “Home is where the heart is” certainly prevails….  Woodbury seems to have certainly captured Joan Blackwell’s heart! Just as Joan and her infectious enthusiasm for life have captured the hearts of many a Woodbury resident.

Currently, exhibits of Joan’s art are displayed at the Woodbury, TN, Arts Center; Joe’s Place Restaurant; The Market Place in Murfreesboro; and her home studio in Woodbury.