Robert Rivera is the leading gourd artist today. He has been creating gourd art for over 25 years. Spirituality and family are central to his life and art. His spirituality guides him and infuses his work with a serene power. He credits his love of God and his devoted family as essential to his success and popularity.
Born in Fallbrook, a small town in Southern California, Robert was one of seven children in his family. Initially wanting to be an Art or History teacher, Robert opted to learn the trade of welding. On a trip through California, Robert and his wife Linda drove by a fruit field in San Luis Rey. Robert was intrigued by unknown objects which were in piles in the fields. Wanting to know what they were, Robert and Linda stopped. They soon found out these strange, Mushroom-like objects were gourds. How could they have known that Robert’s statement, “I know I can do something with them”, would be the beginning of an adventure of a lifetime? As they returned to New Mexico, Robert had more that a few dirty, smelly gourds in the back of the car; he had an idea and the faith to pursue that idea.
It wasn’t long after their trip to California that Robert and Linda began to sell Robert’s gourd art. One day Robert came to Linda and told her he was going to quit his job to pursue his dream. “I figure a lot of people have one foot still on their job and the other testing the waters but I decided to go all the way. ‘If I fail, I fail,’ I said. Now that I think about it, it was faith, not only in me, that I could do this, but Faith in God that he would be there with me throughout.” It wasn’t an easy road to success. There were times in the beginning when times looked bleak for the artist but his drive and determination coupled with faith that pushed him on. It was that faith that has encouraged, strengthened, and blessed Robert, Linda and their three children throughout the years.
Robert and his family ended up in Placitas, New Mexico where he and Linda reside still today. Their children are grown up and on their own. Chad, their youngest, is in Tennessee working on a career in Air Traffic Control, Eric, the middle child, is a Bible teacher and helps Robert with the gourds during the summer, and Lee Ann is married and pursuing a dream to own a business selling her dad’s art work. Elena, 4, Robert’s granddaughter is following in her Papa’s footsteps. She loves to paint and draw and is in the shop working with her Papa whenever she has the opportunity.
“We’ve come a long way in the business, from gourd bowls to gourd sculptures. The gourds are unlimited in what you can do with them.” said Rivera.
Robert hand picks every gourd he uses. They each come from California and must dry in the fields for a full year before he can work on them. Due to the infinte variety and variation found in gourds, his canvas, each piece is an individual creation. No two works are ever exactly alike.
Anyone who gets to know Robert knows he is a driven artist. He approaches his art with such vigor that you can only watch in amazement and wonder. He lives and works out of his workshop in Placitas, New Mexico.
