Creator Five: Gourd Artist Reagan Bitler
Nature, the outdoors, and creativity cross paths in the often complex and ornate gourd works of Hanover (Pennsylvania) resident Reagan Bitler. His popular Godahavom Gourds studio in a former York coffee shop allowed visitors to see him work and offered sales and small group instruction. However, there will be an exciting shift in the spring of 2023 as this middle school teacher opens a new multi-artist studio in the Royal Square District of York.
But first, let’s dig into Bitler’s art and background a bit via the Creator Five questions, beginning with a general look at his creative medium.
Bitler shares, “Using dried gourds to create both decorative and functional works of art appealed to me through my love of nature and the outdoors. My work is typically 3D in nature and incorporates the use of dark line pyrography, intricate cut-outs, and inks and dyes to create vibrant colorations and patterns. My appeal of nature can also be found in the natural embellishments that I add to my pieces, such as seagrass, coconut shell, bone, and wood or porcelain beads.”
Gourd Artwork —©Reagan Bitler
1) Creativity abounds in Reagan’s techniques and finished pieces, which are not the average tourist trap items but unique, one-of-a-kind artworks— his workspace hints at the uniqueness of his work and how he finds his creativity is a helpful way into his process.
“I have a pile of long pine needles from Florida and a small pile of short branches sent to me by a fellow artist friend from Hawaii. The pine needles are used as a rim treatment on a gourd vessel, and the branches are used in my gourd wall hangings. The pine needles are being prepped for a nice long dye bath to color coordinate for an upcoming project vision.”
“Creativity for me appears in the late hours of the day and often in my sleep. Many of my visions of new pieces come from the experiences I had during the day and items that I may have gathered during those experiences. I find myself to be most productive in the actual creation process during the morning hours. Sometimes I find myself working solely on one piece from start to finish, while at other times, I have many pieces in different stages of production.”
Gourd Artwork —©Reagan Bitler
When asked about the sources of his creative inspirations, he defers from providing specifics and instead shares a broader view.
“This may sound like a vague response, but I find inspiration in all artists and art that I encounter. I look for something in their work or in them as an artist that I admire or find interesting. This helps to guide me in my art and pushes me to work outside the box. Ultimately, my creativity was encouraged by my mother, who passed away a little over five years ago. She herself was a musician, and as a single mother, she provided as many different cultural experiences as possible to help encourage my older brother and me to be creative. He expresses his creative upbringing in his carpentry business, and I returned to my creative side approximately 15 years ago when I started to experiment with dried gourds as an art medium.”
“Just like art, I enjoy almost all genres of music. I almost always have music playing from Pandora or Spotify while I am creating. The art piece itself will often lend to the genre or artist on the playlist that day. Something being created with lots of texture and vivid colorations may find some electronic dance music playing, while something designed with more specific control or meaning may have the Black Pumas featured on that day’s playlist.”
2) Back to his medium, there can be misunderstandings about what Bitler’s work is and what it involves.
“When asked what medium I work in, and when I share that I work with dried gourds, most people automatically think that I paint on gourds to create birdhouses. People do not realize that a dried gourd takes on the same properties as a soft wood, and it can be cut, carved, burned, and colored the same way you would a piece of wood. If treated correctly, dried gourds will last just as long as a piece of decorative wood furniture in your home.”
3) How would this artist of a unique art form suggest others move forward?
“[G]et involved both locally and nationally with art organizations. Because I work with a unique medium, dried gourds, I often found myself not fitting in with many other art groups until I was able to share how other mediums and techniques can cross over to working on dried gourds. This has opened the door to many avenues of the art world that I would not have been able to experience had I not self-promoted my work with dried gourds and the use of dried gourds as an art form.”
Gourd Artwork —©Reagan Bitler
4) Taking a step back, this full-time teacher reflects on the intersection of his life with that of his art.
“Money is not everything in life. I purposefully chose not to get a formal education in art because I did not feel that a career in freelance art work or advertising would be able to provide me with a sustainable income for how I wanted to live. Today, I would encourage my younger self to take that risk. I would have had more time to experience and enjoy everything the art community has to offer.”
5) During school breaks or on weekends, when his art focus gives a bit of time, Reagan looks forward to any short trip that can put him in touch with nature or a hike. In terms of the book he grabs, he notes, “I look for recommendations when it comes to reading for pleasure. Most of my reading is done on a professional level, and it usually encompasses keeping up on current events and reading about cultures and cultural happenings around the world. I guess I should state that I currently work full-time as a World Geography and Cultures teacher.”
When he turns the pages, he might grab a classic oatmeal raisin cookie or a bowl of rum raisin ice cream. (There’s a pattern there — cue the raisins!)
He’ll need some snacks as he looks forward to his new home at Creatives on King, located at 104 E. King Street, York, PA. Bitler searched for a new art home after his previous space at York’s I-ron-ic closed with the restaurant housing it. This area of the city will be a good fit, filled with other gallery spaces, retail shops, and several dining possibilities within the neighborhood.
Gourd Artwork —©Reagan Bitler
Godahavom Gourds will be joined in the new studio space by abstract and mixed media artist Debbie Toluba and Nicole Osborne of Reptile Smiles, where art and reptile education merge.
All works copyright Reagan Bitler and/or Andrew T. Smith