Lynn Trosko came to Victorville from Orange County in 1989.  First she drove, first a school bus in Fullerton for 13 years; then 13 more years she drove a transit bus in Victorville.   After, a life of transporting our loved ones about, she spent 3 more years with Victorville’s Public Works Department, she retired.  Her husband John, is also retired, a former construction supervisor.   As a couple, they have always planted vegetable gardens and have a patio full of plants.  The hardest part of moving up to the desert was the lack of green.  

When they discovered gourds, it was a godsend. They not only grow them at their home and buy thicker from a huge gourd farm in Temecula but also have taken them to an UNIQUE artistic level.  .

Lynn discovered gourds thru a magazine article on long handled gourds hanging from a trellis. Inspired to grow them she had no idea what you could do with these pieces of wonder once they were done growing. No formal training in the arts made her journey a slow “learn as you go process”.  Along with her husband of 42 yrs, they dove into the world of gourds.

 

Unusual shapes and varying colors, natural stains and thickness are a challenge when working with the gourds. The finished product is a UNIQUE, one of a kind piece of art.

Years ago John & Lynn invented 2 gourd cleaning tools that were BIG sellers at the garden shows until everyone copied them. That was ok; they were getting tired of making them.   They love to educate people about gourds, especially the growing, Took them 2years before they got their first gourd; Gourds are tricky little devils.  They love, when people first see them. “It’s a what?”  Lynn likes the gourd because they are so different.   “Not the same old, kind of like myself!” 

After all her selves were full and all her relatives and friends received gourds for gifts, she decided to start selling them. They can’t be mass produced; her artistic life is full of "futures".  She will see something and say I wonder if I can do that with a gourd.   You are welcome at any time to come to her home and, see the done gourds and the futures in the ground. 

Her art work can be seen at The High Desert Cultural Arts Foundation in Victorville, The Mojave Institute of Arts on Corwin Road, Apple Valley. You are welcome to come visit her small gallery at the house and also see the gourds growing.  She can be reached @ (760) 956-2087 or send an e-mail at gourdtools@aol.com