Hello, my name is Andrea Jansen and I’m a gourd artist, author and volunteer based in Oregon.  I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business and Management from U of Maryland (Go Terps!) and spent two decades in the Design and Manufacturing field in Manhattan and abroad.

In my spare time, I taught myself to paint using acrylic gouache, and my love of European folk art influenced my style. In 1997 I took a leap of faith, left everything I knew, bought a vintage trawler and began cruising the Caribbean, eventually settling In Puerto Rico.

One day I was presented with two gourds from a friend's garden, with the challenge,

"See what you can do with these."

I later discovered the island's treeborn, tough-as-hardwood calabash gourd known as the Higuera. Traditionally fashioned into masks and maracas, I instead created functional baskets, lamps, purses and decorative pieces. In 2002 I became the first North American certified as an Artesana de Higuera, a title reserved for artists who, using indigenous materials, best express the beauty and culture of the island.  Fusing Norwegian Rosemaling with bright Caribbean colors on innovative carvings, I received numerous awards and accolades. For years  I attended premier Artesan shows throughout the island and juried Interrnational fairs; plus supplemented my income with classes and commissioned work.

Now that age has caught up with my hands it’s somewhat painful to handle gourds, but typing doesn't hurt so I write. I began with newspaper and magazine articles; and later added blogging.

In 2017, I began volunteering (as a Resident Artist) in tiny home communities for the chronically homeless: first in Community First Village in Austin, TX and later with Hope Village in Medford, OR.

Due to those life-altering experiences, I find myself writing pieces advocvating for the homeless and low-income members of society from a first-person perspective.

When COVID hit I decided to share the trip from Florida to Puerto Rico in blog-form for everyone to enjoy. The plan is to continue to add individual stories over time, similar to this synopsis/reflection on la Parguera after 14 years: Reconnecting with Puerto Rico. 

Please enjoy wandering through my site.  It contains photographs galore of an extraordinary way of life in the Caribbean, prior to the Electronic Age.

Please Contact me with questions or comments.