Kristy Dial, a native Arizonian, came to Minden, Nevada via San Diego 12 years ago. After a productive professional life owning a graphic arts business, working in the printing business for years, and becoming a certified national judge for gourd competitions, Kristy brought her entrepreneur skills and creativity to Carson Valley, eventually starting the annual Silver State Art Festival in Carson City. She joined NAA to meet people and increase her artists’ contacts. She first became interested in gourd design when perusing arts/craft fairs in the San Diego area. From childhood, her advertising executive father always encouraged her to make art and try innovative ideas. With that confidence in her tool bag, she tackled the techniques to create gourd art.
It is not, therefore, a stretch for Kristy to put her own twist on a generation-deep artistic product. She likes that the design element of the gourds is close ended. It begins with her design and ends when she is finished with techniques such as cutting, carving, burning, and painting. Gourds are unforgiveable to a mistaken move with a knife or a dye/painting job gone bad, and Kristy appreciates the challenge.