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Note: If using Outlook click the above bar where it says “Click to download photos” The photos are the best part!
In This Issue: Gloria Crane is a Californian artist with a large following. She is an expert carver with a deep understanding of colour - a combination that results in award-winning art. In addition to her art, Gloria teaches. Her workshops are inviting providing an environment that is both delightful and stimulating. Please welcome Gloria Crane to this August issue of Gourd Fever.  Palm Leaves by Gloria Crane Ken Carlson is here and this month he is talking about how the best-laid plans can go awry with just a slight turn of events. In this essay we meet his 96 year old mother-in-law who, after so many years, still offers Ken advice which will hopefully "improve him as a person." In "The Gourd Jungle" the August topics are bugs and fungus. All bases are covered - how to identify and then act. As far as the gourd garden work, there is not much to do apart from watching your gourds grow and mature. In "Out Of The Mailbag" we have some photos from Sue Pickwell who lives in High River, Alberta. A few weeks ago extreme flooding hit and Sue was one of the lucky ones; she only had 5 feet of water in her basement. Sue had many gourds growing and this is the story of the one which survived, a martin named Martin. Lots to read this month so grab an icy glass of lemonade, get comfortable and dive in. Gloria Crane: Defining Style On Her Own Terms  Gloria Crane grew up in Norwalk, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles, and has lived in the high desert community of Hesperia, CA for more than 20 years. Her first exposure to gourd art was a visit to the 2004 Welburn Gourd Festival where she was immediately drawn to the art and the unlimited possibilities this unusual canvas offered. Shortly after attending the festival she took her first class and was hooked. Now, many years later, her goal is to produce 'one of a kind' gourd art that represents her individual style. Gloria's approach to design is not always "planned out." Sometimes ideas are formulated in the still of the night when her thoughts are free flowing; other times it is something she sees during the day that will pique her interest. Once the seed is planted Gloria will take her idea to the sketch pad. A design idea may take minutes or sometimes days to complete. Sometimes she will just pick up a gourd and the design will evolve as she is working.
When first starting out she took lessons from some of the finest teachers around. She took what she learned and tried to make it "her own." When bored with a carving technique, Gloria finds ways to change it up and make it different from what everyone else is doing. When talking about style, Gloria claims that her style hasn't changed much over the years. When starting out she struggled trying to find her niche. She didn't do southwest and really didn't have one particular style or technique that she was drawn to. Instead she has learned to incorporate many techniques into one piece and the end result makes Gloria Crane's work distinct. Many of Gloria's vessels have beautiful pine needle rims and she attributes this to the number of hours she spends traveling. Her husband does most of the driving while Gloria works on her rims. Pine needles and thread are easy to pack and doesn't take up much space, although adding beads to the stitching can be somewhat challenging while driving down the road.  In addition to creating art, Gloria has an excellent reputation in the gourd community for her workshops. They are always full and she states that she is happy that more men are taking an interest in the art. Like many gourd art teachers, she has students who she can count on being in her classes. She fondly calls them her "groupies." Some joke that they are pass the groupie stage and now consider themselves stalkers. Gloria has written numerous detailed tutorials and some day may compile them into a book. She has also made five instructional DVD's with plans on doing more in the future. Annual exhibits include the Wuertz Gourd Festival in Casa Grande, AZ in February and the Davis Ranch Gourd Festival in Sloughhouse, CA every September.  For the past forty-three years Gloria has been married to her high-school sweetheart. She has a son and a daughter who married their high-school sweethearts. (It is now a family tradition.) She has eight grandchildren with a ninth on the way. They range in ages from two to sixteen years. Every year Gloria and her husband vacation in Northern California where her husband prospects for gold. She takes her gourds, carvers, wood burners, paints, dyes, pine needles and anything else she can squeeze in. Sitting under the pine and oak trees she is happy doing what she loves. As you can expect, Gloria is interrupted with questions from curious campers about what she is doing. Of course Gloria loves to tell them all about gourds and hopes that maybe...just maybe...she will be able to bring a few newbies into her ever-growing gourd family! To view more of Gloria's art click here: http://www.gloriousgourdcreations.com/Gallery.html Ken Carlson: Even The Best Laid Plans Can Go Awry!  Dear readers, The purpose of my articles is to share some of my joy of growing gourds, and possibly provide some helpful hints that may make your gourd growing process easier. However, in my haste to provide you with timely information, as the growing season goes on, I may have chosen some of my words, ah, poorly. In preparing to write my article this month, I printed out a copy of the last article I wrote, just to be familiar with what I had said. In the article I tried to say that in my opinion the common weed is more of an enemy to the gourd plant than the cucumber beetle. I don't usually print them out but this month I did, and when I went back to my office, I accidently left the article laying on the kitchen counter. For this month I started to write about the best way to tie a knot in the handle of a dipper gourd. Suddenly I thought I heard a noise in the kitchen. It sounded like a bunch of geese in a cornfield. I started walking out there and quickly recognized the sound as giggling. It was my English major wife, Paula and her 96 year old retired school teacher mother. They were obviously enjoying each others opinion on some topic I wasn't yet privy to. They got quiet as I entered the area. Okay, I admit I'm not the brightest guy in Aberdeen...and I proved it once again..by not going back to my office immediately. Instead I asked them what they found so funny. "Oh, Paula may have read me something that I giggled at," said the one who was still trying to catch her 96 year old breath. My wife, standing at the counter, was trying to hide something under the paper. It was the article I had written last month. I figured they were laughing because they were going to circle my mistakes and make me write the thing all over again. "Give me that," I said as I reached out to take it. My wife covered it with her entire torso across the counter. "We're not done yet," she laughed. "Say Ken," my mother-in-law starts. She calls me Ken whenever she is about to tell me something that will improve me as a person. I wait with breathless anticipation. "You might want to apologize to some of your readers," she continues, "after what you just insinuated about them in your article." A smarter man would have just said Okay and run for his office, but noooo, not me. I stood there long enough for my wife to read the sentence from my article they were cackling about earlier. I might mention that I was just trying to be cute when I wrote, in my own way, that the cucumber beetle would be easy to get rid of with spray. They had another take on it. "The little guys aren't smart enough to be sneaky," she read, "Are you inferring that any living thing that isn't smart enough is a guy, or is it only the little guys that aren't smart?" "Does that mean that women are smart, but they're sneaky?" my mother-in-law added, "or is it just the little women that are sneaky?" "Well, he leaves the door open for big guys," my wife adds when she catches her breath, "but I think you should say how tall a guy should be before he is considered smart?" "Obviously," my mother-in-law jumps back in, "average is just average, but he's right about those big guys, they're sneaky." I picked up my article and quietly walked back to my office. I hope everyone got as much enjoyment out of the article as they did. Now I've got writer's block. I'm too afraid I might insult some other group. They're still laughing out in the kitchen. I heard my wife asking her mother that if a little guy marries a little woman and they have a big child... To heck with it, if anyone needs help tying a knot in the handle of a dipper gourd they can call my mother. She is an expert too. PS They are still giggling in the kitchen.... Ken Out Of The Mailbag  Hi Carolyn and Linda, Still gourding. This is the latest member of our garden family. Annemarie Hi Annemarie, Your family is really growing. Thanks for sending this in; hope to see you soon. Carolyn
Martin is going to survive Hello, Earlier this year I purchased 2 packets of gourd seeds. I couldn't wait to sow them and some came up, some didn't. You win some, you lose some. I nurtured them, repotted them and finally set them in big pots in the garden. They were well established and looking good along my chain link fence. Then...Mother Nature came to visit. I live in High River, Alberta. I have one gourd plant left, the others are all over the golf course. Who knows where they might grow! Looking forward to next year's growing season. I was looking forward to having dried gourds in the spring...guess I'll be buying from you this year. I will keep you posted on my one baby gourd. (I think it is a Martin.) Have a nice day - Sue Pickwell PS Here is my blog describing the day's events: Hi Sue, Oh my gosh Sue, what happened in High River is a tragedy. For you readers who don't know; on June 20th after a record-breaking rain storm, High River and Calgary, Alberta flooded. In High River 13,000 people were evacuated; many lost their homes. On the right are some photos that Sue sent along with her blog. Wishing Martin lots of luck. Carolyn and Linda Hello there Northern Dipper, I have received your newsletter for a couple of years now and really enjoy it. I have been out to your place for a workshop (drum-making) and to buy gourds. I think you two are great. My sisters and mother are coming to Ontario for a visit in early September and thought it would be fun to come to a workshop out at your place. If we wanted to have a beginner's workshop (none of them have ever worked on gourds before) could that be arranged? There will be 5, possibly 6 of us. Thanks, Janet Tyrer Hi Janet, We remember you! A workshop for you and your family could be easily arranged. Just email me what dates you are looking at. I would like to add that if anyone else has an idea for a workshop they would like to see us hold let us know. We are always open to new ideas. Carolyn "Other Stuff"
I recently read an article about first aid remedies right at your fingertips namely remedies right out of your kitchen cupboard. They are from Joe and Terry Graedon, famous for The People's Pharmacy which is a syndicated column and National Public Radio show. As Joe likes to put it, these home remedies "Might help. Won't hurt. Doesn't cost very much."
Looking Ahead: September 2013
Gloria Christian has always had an urge to create and for many years worked as a free-lance photographer. She then discovered gourds and loved the simplicity of them. Her art is inspiring and is found in collections throughout North America and internationally. It is our great pleasure to feature Gloria Christian in the September issue of Gourd Fever. Ken Carlson will be here much to our delight even though we do not know yet what he will be writing about. We do know however that this popular essay about the trials, tribulations and joy one experiences in their gourd garden will always be enlightening. To finish we would just like to add that if you are planning to come to Northern Dipper Farm please call to set up a day. August is the month we take some time off so the farm may not be open for business. Once a day is arranged do not rely on your GPS as it does not send you directly to the farm. Best to print directions from our website. Have a splendid August; we'll see you next month. Carolyn Cooper and Linda Bond PS Send your stories, ideas or photos to info@northerndipper.com
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