My Team
Jaz Caldwell
I’ve always been curious.
I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. I grew up appreciating all facets of outdoor life. I have been a SCUBA instructor, a motorcyclist, a snow and water skier, a competitive swimmer and a camper and a hiker. All these activities have instilled a strong curiosity of how things worked. I am fascinated with how things work. All things. Not just by design but, mechanically, chemically, but organically as well.
In the 1960’s my mom and I were exploring how all kinds of arts and crafts to see how they worked and could we do them. We were tie-dyeing in our back yard, doing macramé on the patio, making candles in the kitchen sink, completing batiks over the ironing board, and weaving with our fingers and on looms in front of the television. At the early age of 9, my curiosity took a deeper hold when I learned to sew clothing. I questioned everything about it and developed a fascination with fibers, color theory, fashion, and machines. By 16, I had developed into a full tailor, running a power machine with the best of them and making designer clothes for myself and my sister.
Finding my artistic form.
I taught myself how do quilting and quilling, make greeting cards, to assemble jewelry, make my own cloth beads, loom weaving and bead weaving, fiber wrapped “silent oboes”, sashiko, polymer, started my own non-profit, designing and developing BUJOs. I taught myself to crochet and friends taught me how to knit. But I was bored with these projects. Then one day while flipping through an art magazine I saw my first carved gourd. I gasped and said – as I always have – “I can do that!” So, I ordered a couple of gourds, got out my Dremel tool and started carving. I had found my art form!
In this process I learned all facets of gourd art from cleaning the gourds and conditioning them, to sealing the final project. Because I couldn’t find finials for my work, I have taken up wood turning on a lathe (finials for my gourd pieces), wood burning, painting, carving, and how to finish wood. Now I’m learning resin techniques.
Everything I have done and learned has led to this. I feel blessed to have found an outlet that meets my need for solitude, expression of my curiosity and integrity - not only in the quality of my work but in furthering the art form. I don’t know if this is the final stop in my adventure with many avenues left untraveled. I do know I will stop here for a while.
Jim Caldwell
My husband is my chief collaborator and contributor by expressing his thoughts on each piece and making stands for them as needed. I could not do this without him – nor would I want to.
Jim grew up on a farm and early on recognized he didn’t want to do that for a living. So, he became a physician instead. He is now retired after 40 years of practice and research as a professor at the University of Washington.
Now he spends his days gardening, including growing gourds or woodworking/cabinet making. He made all the furniture for my gourd studio plus numerous other pieces for our home. He translates my ideas for gourd stands into pieces of wood art that are unique for each gourd. Jim graciously shares part of his woodshop with me.
“Creativity takes courage.”