Barbara Moore

Gourd Art

Moore Whimsies
84 Bluebird Lane
Flippin, AR 72634
(mail: P.O.Box 1823)
870-453-5268 (home
479-209-1342 (cell)
barbaramoore28@yahoo.com

Directions: From the traffic light at the west end of AR62/412 in Mountain Home (bypass), travel 11.2 miles and turn right onto AR178 toward Flippin Business District. Cross the railroad tracks and continue 0.3 mile and turn left onto AR202. Continue 0.9 mile and turn left onto BlueBird Lane. Travel a short distance to the last house on the left. The studio is just past the house. Plenty of parking.

Biography
“Art is nothing but the expression of our dream. The more we surrender to it, the closer we get to the inner truth of things, our dream- life, and the true life that scorns questions and does not see them.” This quote by Franz Marc, along with the beauty and artistic potential of the gourd, serves as the inspiration that guides Barbara Moore’s work.

She says that she has “always been a creative, craftsy-artsy type of person,” but her love of using gourds to make art went undiscovered until she attended the annual Show Me Gourd Society Festival, held in Springfield, Missouri. She quickly fell in love with gourd art and has pursued it ever since.

Completely by chance, Moore met nationally known gourd artist and instructor, Joyce Campbell. For a year and a half, she learned from Campbell while developing her own personal style. Moore uses a plethora of mediums and techniques, including wood burning, carving, cutting, clay modeling, embossing, painting, and decoupaging. She pairs them with mediums ranging from ink, dyes, paints, gold leaf, and decoupage, to create her works of art. To her, gourd art is the ultimate mixed-media medium.

In addition to having won many awards for her work, Moore also serves as the coordinator for the annual Old Favorites Table (which is a table where Gourd Art from past Blue Ribbon Gourd Artist winners are displayed) at the Show Me Gourd Society Festival, and is a member of the American Gourd Society, the Missouri Gourd Society and also the Texas Gourd Society. Moore and her husband have also started a gourd patch in Arkansas, which currently includes 20 members.

Presently, Moore and her husband make their home near Flippin in close proximity to the White River. Moore keeps very busy creating gourd art and attending shows. She also teaches classes at Interior Marketplace & Design, and in her own studio in Flippin. Her artwork may be viewed and purchased at both locations.