Gallery 'N' Gifts featuring Betty Finch and her fantastic gourd creations

Betty Finch and her fantastic gourd creations will be featured at Gallery 'N' Gifts for First Friday, March 1, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Betty, raised in Mojave, began her working life as a commercial artist before a 26-year career in law enforcement at the Kern County Sheriff's Department.

Her duties included patrol, Homicide Detective, CSI Unit supervisor, 12 years as a SWAT Hostage Negotiator and 15 years as the department composite artist. The FBI sponsored Betty to attend the National Academy Forensic Facial Imaging Course. She now uses facial reconstruction skills in creating three dimensional faces on gourds.

Betty's interest in manipulating gourds prompted her to travel to Indiana to meet mentor and master gourd trainer, Jim Story. After retirement Betty traveled to Tianjin, China to learn from Zhang Cairi, renowned for growing perfect replicas of Chinese Emperor's gourds. This led to her co-authoring a book to preserve this unique art form.

Betty now devotes her time to raising colorful Appaloosa horses, working with plant genetics, experimenting with manipulated, coffee-dyed and molded gourds and creating fine art with gourds. Betty says, "I work in partnership with nature to transform compelling visions into reality".

Come join us to be amazed and delighted with Betty's gourd creations.