Born in Los Angeles County in 1950, Gloria Crane developed an enthusiasm for all sorts of art mediums at a very early age. As a child her favorite Christmas presents were a brand new box of crayons, coloring books and drawing paper.
Having raised her son and daughter, along with her husband of 38 years, and working full time for 26 years in the telecommunications field, she was able to take early retirement in 2002. One morning, while watching a cable television craft show, Gloria saw a gourd artist demonstrating her craft and knew instantly that she had to find out more about this natural and versatile canvas. That thirty-minute program led her to the Internet to research this new thing called gourd art. Before she knew it she was buying advance tickets to the CGS Gourd Festival at Welburn’s Farm in Fallbrook, CA. She took her first lesson in February 2004 and was captivated.
Although accomplished as a self-taught artist in many mediums, Gloria has taken workshops from some of the finest and most sought after gourd artists available in California and Arizona, allowing her to bring a wealth of new techniques and skills to her already considerable artistic abilities.
Gourds offer the opportunity for Gloria to carve, wood burn, weave, apply inlay as well as use paints, stains, and inks, (often on the same piece) in the creation of her original and stunning gourd art. Gloria's love and appreciation of nature and wildlife is clearly apparent in her work. She explains that she usually starts a piece with an idea that has come in still, quiet moments when she is able to reflect, but says she also keeps a sketchpad and pencil next to her bed for when a design idea comes to her in the middle of the night.
When she’s not working in her studio Gloria enjoys traveling with her husband and loves spending time with her seven grand children, who are her most honest critics.
