Elaine Linton

Gourd Art by Elaine Linton

Current classes being offered by Elaine are listed below. To contact Elaine directly by email: elainelinton@sbcglobal.net

May

June

7th - Class with Elaine Linton - Bubble Ladies $50

Elaine Linton, Gourd Artist was born at County Hospital in San Diego, CA. Elaine is the daughter of Richard A. Linton, great grandson of John B. Linton of Scotland and Lucille Ortega Linton daughter of Julio Ortega born on the Santa Ysabel Indian Reservation. Elaine is a member of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel.

Art in some fashion has always played a part of Elaine’s life for as long as she can remember. When she was young, she would watch her older brothers Shot & Dennis draw and wish one day she would be able to draw as well as her brothers.

Elaine’s mother, Lucille, was always very supportive and a big influence in Elaine’s artistic success. Lucille would say to her children “You don’t have to be number one, just do your best. Remember you can do anything you want and be anything you want be.” So, Elaine always had the confidence to create her art and compete in art contests.

Elaine was greatly inspired by her grade school teacher Mrs. Alice Griggs. Alice opened up the art world for Elaine. Elaine recalls that Alice had hundreds of small prints of all types of art by many of the great artists such as Van Gough, Monet, Grandma Moses, and Michelangelo. One of Elaine’s fondest memories was looking through all the miniature prints searching for inspiration for a project. Alice encouraged Elaine to enter all types of art contests, local and statewide, some of which she won. One day Alice took the students to her house so they could paint landscapes. Alice’s backyard had a pond and lots of rocks and Manzanita bushes, perfect for a landscape. That year Elaine’s landscape was picked to hang the Museum of Art at Balboa Park in San Diego. Elaine’s class took a field trip to see her painting. That picture hung in the principal’s office at Warner’s Elementary school for years and was eventually given to the Linton family. Sadly, it was lost later while moving. Alice is 85 years old and now lives in Prescott, Arizona. Elaine and Alice have remained in contact through the years.

In addition to the artistic influence of Alice Griggs Elaine was influenced by another established artist, Mr. Burke. He lived down the road from her childhood home in Los Tules, Warner Springs. Every Saturday morning Elaine and three of her brothers, Dennis, Fletcher, and John would walk to down to Mr. Burke’s house. Mr. Burke had an art studio and let the kids explore various art media. They would spend, what seemed like hours on end in that studio creating whatever they could think of. Mr. Burked introduced the children to not only watercolors, but oil pastels and charcoal. Once Mr. Burke helped the kids make clay figurines that they later painted. Year after year Mr. Burke would send the Linton children watercolor paints and brushes, oil pastels, and tablets of paper for Christmas

In high school at Julian, Elaine continued to create art and painted the school mascot, the Eagle, on the floor of the high school gym, which remained for 25 years. As the years went by Elaine tried many different types of art such as embroidery, ceramics, acrylic and watercolor, and glass painting. She even hand made oak frames for her embroidery. No matter what the media, art was just part of her everyday life.

About two years ago, Elaine’s sister Concha asked Elaine to go to The Welburn Gourd Farm to take a free gourd class. Gourd art had never been a favorite of Elaine’s, but she was bored so she agreed. Elaine went on line to register but the class was full, so she decided to sign up for a beginning gourd class given by Diane Connlley. Elaine later said, “I loved every minute of that class.” She and was hooked and came home from the gourd farm that day with ten small gourds, a couple of bottles of leather dye, and some pine needles. The next day she headed down to Michael’s and picked up a wood burner. During the next few weeks Elaine stayed up until the wee hours working out her gourds. That Christmas all her co-workers received gourds. Her co-workers were overjoyed with their handmade gifts or at least pretend to be.

Elaine joined the California Gourd Society and became a member of the Fallbrook Gourd Patch. She has made many friends in the Fallbrook Patch.

Elaine first showed her gourds at the Artist Gallery, on Grand Avenue in Escondido March 2006. Elaine was very excited and at the same very nervous to be showing her gourds and even more nervous to put a price on her precious gourds. Although it rained and hailed that day, many family members and friends came to on opening day. Elaine sold all gourds she had on display that day.

Now, Elaine has taken many gourds classes from many different teachers and has gained many skills. She has traveled many times to Tuscan, Arizona for classes by Bonnie Gibson. Gourding has become a great way to express her deep and ongoing passion for art. Elaine says she thinks about gourding everyday and is constantly inspired. She has so many ideas she forgets some of them before she can get them on a gourd. Sometimes she wakes up at night with a new idea and has to get up and start a new gourd.

What Elaine likes best about gourding is that the gourds are not perfect so the gourd designs do not have to be perfect either and there is no end to what you can create a gourd and a few simple tools, just for starters. Elaine continues to create more elaborate and beautiful gourds as her skills continue to grow. She also now conducts gourd classes, from beginning to advanced gourders. She holds her classes mainly on the Santa Ysabel Indian Reservation for anyone who wants to learn all about gourds. She also plans to start growing her own small patch of gourds in the near future, meticulously collecting her seeds for just the right type of gourds she wants. She is constantly replacing her worn out tools (and they wear out fast considering the volume of work she puts out) and supplies and is always on the lookout for the latest techniques.

As far as anyone can tell, Elaine has found her medium and how far she can take her art is anyone’s guess!