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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!
 Horse gourd with an antler base by Dorcas Schauberger In This Issue: This month we are so pleased to have with us Ontario artist Dorcas Schauberger. Dorcas is a remarkable woman. Her art encompasses carving and painting utilizing a large variety of mediums, and for the most part, her skill set is self-taught. At 74 she is a ball of energy working part time, participating in two hiking clubs, working out at the gym on a weekly basis and spending anywhere from 20 - 80 hours working on individual pieces of art. Dorcas is interesting, personable and very creative as you will soon learn from the interview we had with her.
 Black Australian Swan with a hand carved head and neck. Dorcas designed the body using a palm tree frond.
Garden planters are a welcome addition to any yard and can make an apartment balcony look awesome. Gourds are ideal planters and they come in such unique shapes. They are especially effective when grouped in three's. Planter interiors must, however, be waterproof and made water-resistant otherwise they will mould and rot over time.
This month our mini tutorial is on how to waterproof a planter using a product called Mas Epoxie.
 The newest inks and pigments at Northern Dipper have had a wonderful response and we have had letters thanking us for the tutorials regarding these products.
For hands-on classes, Northern Dipper is offering a series of mini tutorials with prices ranging from $7.00 - $10.00 per workshop. Times for the August schedule will be listed on our website. http://www.northerndipper.com/workshops.php So here we are; back from vacation from the east coast. We had a relaxing time visiting Carolyn's daughter and other family, beachcombing, sleeping in and staying up late. We felt just like teenagers! Now we are ready to get back to business...first thing on the agenda is to cut the grass. Wish the grass and the weeds took a holiday too. Here are some photos of Peggy's Cove, a famous fishing village found in Nova Scotia. It is a photographer's paradise and the pace is slow, the people friendly.
 Peggy's Cove
 This boat is a dory and although larger boats have replaced the dory, you will still see fishermen & dorys out in the ocean.
 This famous red & white lighthouse is one of the most recognizable lighthouses in the world. On the lower level is a Canada Post office where mail goes out to all parts of the globe.
To learn more about this beautiful place click here: Dorcas Schauberger
 Dorcas selling her carvings and gourd art at a local venue. Dorcas's interest in creating sellable items began from necessity as much as a creative spirit just waiting to be developed. It was the mid-60's and Dorcas was a self-supporting mother of three boys. She had to find a way to supplement her income so she just dove right in. One of her first projects was turning egg cartons into floral bouquets. For the vases she would heat old 72 RPM records on a hot plate until they fluted and took the shape of a bowl. She also did a lot of crocheting, knitting, rug hooking and weaving with different textured wool and cords using a driftwood frame. Needlepoint followed, along with 3D paper tole or decoupage.  A Wartie teapot. The sprout is the neck of a kettle gourd. Apoxie Sculpt was used to make all the little Wartie bumps. The handle is an old antique spoon found at a local thrift shop.
Carving has been a constant in Dorcas's art repertoire. There is nothing more rewarding than being out on the trail and finding a piece of wood or fungi and giving it a new life for someone to enjoy. And although she claims she is not a bird watcher she does spend a lot of time studying birds to see how she can improve her work. It may take 70 - 80 hours to carve one bird and this does not include the time to do the habitat.
When asked if the wood "talks to her" she replied no but added that she may observe a piece of wood for sometimes up to a year or more. All of a sudden, for some reason, there it is..."get me out of here" so she does!  This red-headed pintail drake stylized gourd is both carved and painted. This combination of techniques is one Dorcas uses often as she details every feather. Dorcas was familiar with gourds but it was when she attended Gourd Fest and saw the competition gourds that she was really turned on. All the shapes, sizes and creations...she was impressed and thought "I can do that." Pyrography is one technique that Dorcas uses often, and for her carving, she uses micro tools. In the drake pictured above each feather is treated separately. It is very technical and time-consuming but the outcome is well worth it.  The head and tail rattles on this colourful snake had to be built up to make it look realistic. It took hours to burn in all the scales.
 This turtle looks like he is fossilized.
 On feathers Dorcas uses oil paints as water based paint and acrylics can cause a split in the feather's barbs.
Three wonderful sons have always encouraged Dorcas to create something new. Plus three beautiful daughter-in-laws and five grandchildren, the oldest being 22 and the youngest 13, keep her busy. A favorite past time is going on a hike with the grandkids collecting rocks to paint on, old cedar roots, and on good days, perhaps an old post with the barb wire still attached.
A couple of days per week Dorcus still enjoys working at a local bakery. She also belongs to two hiking clubs. This August Dorcus is off to Newfoundland with 11 other hikers where they will hike for 7 days, 7 hours per day. To stay fit gym visits are part of Dorcus's weekly schedule too! Dorcus has a very full life ripe with adventure and challenges. She is an inspiration to us and most likely to many others who are reading this newsletter. And yes Dorcas...after our interview I went and pulled out my old carving knives; that log in my back yard has been sitting there far too long!
Thank you Dorcas for sharing your art and your life with us. Have a safe journey to Newfoundland. We know you will have a marvelous time - Newfoundlanders are so friendly and their island is very unique to Canada. Bon Voyage!!!
Carolyn and Linda Tutorial: Waterproofing Gourds Using Mas Epoxie
by Carolyn Cooper  This month's tutorial on using Mas Epoxie was inspired by a big old jade plant of mine that was in desperate need for repotting. I decided that a gourd would be an ideal planter but wanted to make the interior both water-repellent and waterproof.
Mas Epoxie is a FDA approved two part system that is very easy to use. Each kit comes with 16 oz Mas Flag resin, 8 oz medium hardener, 4 pairs of gloves, and 4 mixing cups. You will need to supply a paintbrush which I purchased at the Dollar store as the brushes cannot be cleaned or reused again.
The finish will be clear and shiny. Do not try to add any colourant to the mixture.
Although this product has little or no odour we recommend that you use gloves, a respirator mask and safety glasses. Follow the instructions in the kit.
 The gourd interior must be clean and dry. For this jade plant pot I was not concerned about getting the interior perfectly smooth. If the inside is going to be visible, extra sanding of the gourd interior may be something you may want to take the time to do. Shake out all the loose pieces of gourd scrapings and dust.
Mix two parts resin to one part hardener. I save small margarine and yogurt containers for this as the containers can't be reused. Do not mix too much as it will begin the hardening process immediately. For this pot I used 4 oz of resin and 2 oz of hardener. Mix for about a minute and using the paint brush, begin brushing mixture onto the gourd starting in the center and working up and out.
 I have a tendency to put it on thicker when I know I am just doing one coat on a piece such as this pot where the looks of the interior doesn't matter.
When I do bowls and dishes the interior is going to show so I use two lighter coats of Mas Epoxie and sand between coats. Wear a mask and sand in a well-ventilated place. I prefer to do sanding outdoors.
Now you can enjoy your own water-proof planters and bowls with easy to use Mas Epoxie. For more information about this product click here.
Reader's Corner
Hi Carolyn, I hope you had a nice holiday. I am from Indiana, Purdue University county. I am 65 miles NW of Indianapolis. I have been working with gourds for the past 14 years and use to do a lot of festivals. Now, due to the economy, I stay pretty close to home doing only local shows. Here are some photos of my work. Thanks for the newsletter; it is very informative and well-done. I read my first issue on your website and was very impressed. I have now subscribed and will look forward to it every month. Debby Remsburg    Hi Debby, Thank you very much for these photos. Your work is lovely and the sea grass and pine needle rims really set these pots off. Good luck with the shows. Many people are staying close to home but as we have seen in the past things will have to turn around at some point. Lets just hope it is not too long. Glad you like the newsletter. We have fun doing it and are constantly thrilled how gourds can bring so many great people together. All the best, Carolyn and Linda Size Is Important When Crafting A Mbira
Dear Carolyn and Linda,
I would like to order a gourd larger than 14" please, the larger the better. The ideal shape would be the canteen or tobacco box but the kettle or bushel basket would also be possible.
 Here is a photo of the gourd I bought from you last year. It is now a wonderful resonator for my mbira. I cut the gourd, cleaned it and added the shells - Canadian ones that I collected when visiting Nova Scotia last year. As you can see the shape is important, this is the minimum size really.
Happy hols,
Catherine
 Hi Catherine,
Welcome back to Canada! Your timing could not be better. We have some huge gourds that are perfect for instruments or fruit bowls. We'll arrange a time - it will be nice to see you again.
Talk to you soon,
Carolyn
To view the speciality gourds click here -
Mini Workshops Rule!
Hi Carolyn,
I know I just saw you yesterday but I wanted to drop you a line to tell you how much we enjoyed your mini workshop. The concept is cool and I was amazed at how much I learned in such a short time. You will see me again soon. Thanks, Sylvie Pearson  NEXT ISSUE: Every once in a while you will meet someone who you just know is a very special person. Our September featured artist John Remi is such a man. After retirement as a builder he began puttering making bird houses and feeders. Not your run of the mill houses - these are designer houses. He also does a line of incredible gourd houses for purple martins and other birds.
In addition to John's artistic abilities what makes John really unique is that he contributes the money he makes from his art to the Children's Health and Hospital Foundation of Saskatchwan. To date he has raised thousands of dollars. He is also involved in fund raising with other organizations. We are very impressed with John's energy and generosity and are just thrilled that he will share his art and his life with us in the next issue of Gourd Fever. The Canadian Gourd Society is holding their annual gourd festival in October on the 24th and 25th. Northern Dipper will be having some exciting demos throughout the day so keep your eyes open...details and times will be listed in next month's newsletter. Well that's it for now folks. Enjoy August - wishing you hot sunny skies and a light summer heart.
Carolyn Cooper and Linda Bond
© Northern Dipper 2009
PS We welcome stories, ideas and comments. Please send to info@northerndipper.com |
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