A Brief Bio:

Heather Warner is a three dimensional designer & artist who specializes in transforming raw gourds into fine art sculptures. 

A graduate of Miami University, Heather holds degrees in Housing & Interior Design and History of Art & Architecture.  Raised on the east coast (Connecticut), and having lived on the west coast (California), she now resides in southeast Ohio.  Heather’s work can be found in juried art shows and galleries throughout Ohio.  Recently, she received First Place & the Stevens Family Award (Best of Show) for Green Sea Turtle Swimming at the Ohio Gourd Show and an Honorable Mention for On Alert from the Southwest Gourd Fine Arts Show, a national competition out of Texas, focused solely on fine gourd art.  

The bulk of Heather’s gourd sculptures are of animal subjects.  Often her pieces have a touch of whimsy that brings smiles to viewers’ faces.



Artist Statement

At its most basic level, my art is selfish!  Each sculpture fulfills my inner most need to create.  Creating something unique, something artistic from something raw, is in my soul.  Creating is like breathing to me; I have to do it. 

Nature, in all forms; plants, animals, and whole environments, is the single strongest influence on my art.  Nature is full of colors, textures, patterns, and personality, how can I not draw from it?  Gourds have proven to be the best media for capturing my understanding of nature.  Each gourd is spontaneous and unique.  The potential in each gourd is only increased by the various techniques it accepts; carving, burning, painting, sculpting, etc.   

Each one of my sculptures transforms a gourd, taking it to its next level.  I complete the form inherent in the raw gourd, transforming the gourd, but not hiding it.  No matter what technique I use I never try to hide the gourd; that is the heart of the sculpture.  I could make a bird sculpture completely out of clay, but that would miss the complexity that the gourd gives the art.  The beginning and the end of each piece is always the gourd.

Favorite Quote Regarding Art:

"One does feel proud to belong to the human race when one sees the wonderful things human beings have fashioned with their hands.  They have been creators- they must share a little the holiness of the Creator, who made the world and all that was in it, and saw that it was good.  But He left more to be made.  He left the things to be fashioned by men's hands.  He left them to fashion them, to follow in his footsteps because they were made in in his image, to see what they made, and see that it was good."

- Agatha Christie

  Agatha Christie, An Autobiography