Rosie & Dave Claus, both retired educators, began working with hard-shelled gourds about  ten years ago.  After many years of weaving "off loom", Rosie found herself gradually changing to making natural baskets.  During travels west, they first saw gourd art in a small shop in Frisco, Colorado and immediately began thinking of how they could incorporate their combined talents onto natural vessels.  Dave, an architectural illustrator and wood working hobbyist, does the surface preparation and pyro engraving while Rosie does the weaving and coiling.

Both artists believe gourds have an inherent  natural beauty.  They strive to magnify and preserve this beauty through the use of meaningful embellishments.  Materials natural to the grasslands and forests of the Midwest, such as dried plants, pine needles,seed pods, and woodland fungi, are often used to emphasize the beauty of the gourd "canvasses".   

   
Rosie and Dave are often complimented for taking what many consider a Southwestern art form and emphasizing a Midwestern point of view.  Perhaps their deep appreciation of the nature of gourds can be traced to their interest in gardening.  Although their wooded studio site, located in Naperville, Illinois, does not promote growing the sun-loving gourds, it does afford ideal conditions for growing shade-loving hostas, wild flowers, and other woodland plants.  The symmetry and balance of these plants are often the inspiration for much of their gourd art  work.  The finished pieces are the results of the couples' shared talents and artistic values.

The artist's have developed distinctive and reconizable Off The Vine Gourds style which remains continually well received.  The fluidity of Dave's undulating top cuts and "femininity" of Rosie's textured wraps reflects the commonality of these artists' talents.  The positive acceptance of their art work continues to be validated by the numerous awards they have received at juried art shows.