Jenn Avery was born and raised on the Jersey shore and moved to Lancaster to go to art school,
PSA&D (not yet a college in 1992) focusing on illustration. Art was always a part of her life in
some way or form, working in various mediums and experimenting with different ideas and
inspirations from book illustration to murals. She met her husband at art school and stayed in
Lancaster County, settling in Lititz.
One fateful day in 1999, she stopped by a local farm for some produce and saw they were also
selling dried gourds. Having seen a photo of some gourd crafts not long before, she was
intrigued by them and brought some home. The whole process of cleaning, preparing, cutting,
designing, experimenting with different media on the gourd was a whole new world of
possibilities and she was going on that journey!
When Jenn began pyrography on gourds is when the art really propelled to where she put
down her brushes and canvases and worked exclusively on gourds. Since then, she started
combining the pyrography work with carving, weaving, gold leaf, inlay and coloring techniques
on gourds and is still exploring what else can be done with gourds.
Jenn has always had a love for animals, nature and being outdoors. The concept of creating
circular designs on natural vessels seemed to fit hand in glove. She ventures from the serious
to the whimsical and returns to themes that are dear to her. Many of the memories of growing
up near the ocean find their way into her work, as well as the woodland themes that are close
to her now.
“I want those who view my gourd art to hear the sounds of the sea as the gull flies overhead, or
hear the leaves crunching under their feet as they walk along a forest path, catching a glimpse
of a deer, these are moments that can be fleeting as they happen but remain a part of our
memory forever. I know I am not the only one who delights in these types of moments, I hope
that my art will speak to those who feel the same way as I do about them.”
Jenn is a member of the Lititz Art Association, and the Pennsylvania Gourd Society, and the
American Gourd Society.