Featured Artist Fall 2022
Elaine Linton - San Diego Gourd Artists
Submitted By Libbi Salvo
Elaine Linton is an Indigenous artist from the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, located in east San Diego County. She has a son named Jason, two grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter. Born in a large family of seven brothers and two sisters, Elaine credits her mother Lucille's constant support and advice for her success. She is active, outgoing, and always comfortable being the center of attention.
Elaine graduated from Redlands University with a BS in Business and Administration Management. She worked in communications for almost 42 years but is now retired. Elaine was once a certified personal trainer. She loves to sing while playing her ukulele. Being a high-energy person, Elaine loves to exercise. Her favorite activities are golfing with her brothers, Zumba, and hiking.
To balance her active side, she turns to her creative side and is now a full-time artist. Art, in some fashion, is part of her everyday life and is her favorite form of meditation. As a child, Elaine was inspired by a local artist and had been creating ever since. Elaine loves to draw and paint. She paints in both watercolor and acrylic. She also makes jewelry, pine needle baskets, soapstone sculpture, and gourd art. But gourd art is where her artistic passion settled.
On a whim, Elaine took h er first gourd class at the Welburn Gourd Farm in Fallbrook, CA, in 2005 and was hooked on gourd art. She left the gourd farm with a handful of gourds and immediately began creating. She would stay up every night until the wee hours working on her gourd projects while working full time. Much of her gourd work is Native design. Because of her love for people, Elaine is now a gourd art teacher. She loves meeting people and says the look of satisfaction on her student's faces when they complete an art project constantly inspires her to create.
Although she now teaches gourd art, she still takes classes from many different teachers and has gained numerous skills. Gourd art has become a wonderful way to express her deep and ongoing passion for art. Elaine enjoys working on gourds because they are not perfect, so the designs do not have to be perfect. There is no end to what you can create on a gourd with a few simple tools.
Elaine continues to make more elaborate and beautiful gourds as her skills grow. She has her own little gourd group following, from beginners to advanced.
Elaine is a member of the following gourd groups: