Members of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery fire a 41 gun salute in Hyde Park to mark the 60 anniversary of the accession of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on February 6, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

I would like to tell you why many artists, who like me, have painted portraits and landscapes in oils on canvas, worked with acrylics, watercolors, and pen and ink drawings, have turned to the art of gourd carving.

Performer Zhang Yashu from a Chinese ballet company perform during a photo shoot in front of the Australia's iconic landmarks Opera House (L) and Habour Bridge in Sydney on February 17, 2014. One of China's celebrated dance campanies is bringing one of the country's biggest ballet production to Australia for a series of performances in Sydney and Melbourne. (Photo by Saeed Khan/AFP Photo)

Puppet corgis created by Coventry based events production company Imagineer sit patiently on May 5, 2022 as the company prepares its contribution to The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant next month. The corgis are part of the company's show “The Queen's Favourites”. (Photo by Peter Lopeman/Alamy Live News)

A Thai man climbs down from his home in a disused airplane on September 12, 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand. 3 impoverished Thai families have begun living in disused airplanes on a private field. The families, who collect and recycle garbage earning a few dollars a day, can't afford to rent and prefer to stay in the planes. (Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images)

Young stag deer clash antlers during the annual rut in Richmond Park in west London, Britain, October 16, 2015. The Royal Park has had Red and Fallow deer present since 1529, and early autumn sees the rutting or breeding season begin amongst the herd of over six hundred animals. (Photo by Toby Melville/Reuters)

A devotee offers prayers to the setting sun during the "Chhat" festival at Bagmati river in Kathmandu, Nepal November 17, 2015. Hindus in Nepal celebrate "Chhat", a four-day festival that honours the sun god, by praying at sunrise and sunset, and seek blessings for one's family by giving offerings. (Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)

An airplane crosses a nearly full-moon on its way to Los Angeles International Airport near Whittier, Calif., Thursday, December 24, 2015. Not since 1977 has a full moon dawned in the skies on Christmas. (Photo by Nick Ut/AP Photo)