Stephanie Gush transforms her love of art and nature into painted and carved pumpkins

This story originally appeared in the June 2024 issue of Town&Gown Magazine

What do you get when you mix influences from art classes at university, working on a local farm and a love of Peruvian art? Buddy, Burilado? For Stephanie Gush, this mix results in carving and painting pumpkins.

Gush transforms local hardshell pumpkins into painted and carved birdhouses and painted ornaments. She sells her art at the annual Winter Craft Market, local businesses, and the Stocking Stuffer Magical Holiday Market at Center Furnace Mansion.

“It combines my love of nature and art and is also a stress reliever,” she says.

Throughout the fall, Gush forages for pumpkins on local farms, looking for just the right pumpkins—like she did in the fields when she worked on the farm—that will eventually become painted birdhouses or decorations. After drying for six months (since they are ninety percent water when freshly picked), the pumpkins are cleaned and ready for her brush.

“The larger gourds like bottle gourd, gooseneck gourd and stone marten gourd become birdhouses for small birds like wrens, chickadees and crested tits,” she says. “I drill a hole so they can use the gourd as a home and add hangers and perches. Then I sketch out a design, carve the surface and paint it.” Gush is inspired by Buddy Burilado, the Peruvian art of pumpkin carving as a means of storytelling.

She decorates the pumpkins by painting birds, insects and flowers that occur naturally in central Pennsylvania, such as waxwings, woodpeckers, owls and dragonflies. “I’m inspired by John James Audubon’s detailed bird illustrations,” she says. After a clear coat of varnish, the pumpkins are ready for their second life as shelter and art.

She makes painted ornaments from the smaller pumpkins. “I enjoy seeing their character and unique shapes and imagining what I can make out of them,” she says. “They often become penguins or owls, bees or squirrels.”

Art has always been a part of her life, says Gush, who grew up here. “I have been creative my whole life and enjoy painting, illustrating, printing and working with clay. It gives me an outlet for expression and builds connections with others. When I was very young, my parents encouraged me to attend a Saturday art program hosted by art students at Penn State’s School of Visual Arts, and that was the beginning of my love of art. Then came high school art teachers and professors at Penn State – they all inspired me to create and facilitate the same experience for others and to get students to build and develop a connection to art.”

And she has. For the past 25 years, Gush has served as program manager at Penn State’s Center for Arts and Crafts, which is located in the Ritenour Building and the HUB-Robeson Center and provides opportunities for students, staff and faculty to learn about and create art.

“Each semester, the center offers over 60 non-credit classes and workshops in painting, pottery, stained glass, drawing, dance and embroidery,” says Gush. “Most of the instructors are art students and students in other majors, along with several local artists, my colleague and me,” she explains. “Other students help with the delivery, course setup and customer service. This provides valuable leadership experience.”

“Art has a huge impact in many ways. Art promotes creativity, self-expression, problem-solving and self-care,” she says. At the end of each class, students have the opportunity to provide anonymous feedback, and Gush echoes some of the comments:

“Art is necessary for my mental health.”

“In addition to learning (artistic) techniques, I learned to enjoy life.”

“I’ve learned to let go of things. Not everything has to be perfect.”

“It’s really helpful to set aside time to sit down and be creative.”

“Art can have a positive impact on students, no matter what major they pursue,” says Gush.

And as the semester ends, summer warms up and with it a whole new crop of pumpkins for Gush to discover and turn into art in the fall. “Fall is my favorite time of year,” she says, “when I can go on a pumpkin treasure hunt and create something new.”

For information on purchasing birdhouses and decorations, contact Gush at (email protected). T&G

Cara Aungst lives in Belleville with her husband and five children, who are older than her.