Gour art involves creating works of art by painting on dried gourd shells based on the principles of pointillism. During the process, gourd surfaces may be carved, sanded, burned, dyed, and polished. Gourd decoration and pyrography, is an ancient tradition in Africa, Asia, Central and South America as well as among the indigenous peoples of the Americas, notably among the central highland people of Peru; the Navajo, Hopi and Pueblo nations of the American Southwest and the Nuxálk and Haida nations of British Columbia. Gourd crafting and painting has evolved from early hand carvings to the modern day use by some of electric wood burners and high-speed pen-shaped drills that can be used to inscribe almost any design.