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Note: If using Outlook click the above bar where it says “Click to download photos” or "Show images" The photos are the best part!
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Gourd Lady by Australian artist Maureen Hall
In This Issue: Get on your travelling shoes folks! We are off to the land of Oz to the small town of Gulgong to visit with artist Maureen Hall. The first thing that strikes you is her gorgeous gardens, designed with texture and colour in mind, a place that reveals the creative nature of this interesting woman. After touring this oasis we go in and talk about gourds, gourd art and the gourd scene in Australia. We will see gourd art with a slightly different slant (compared to North American art.) This interview is most enjoyable... please welcome Maureen Hall. Happy Valentine's Day  Click here to view a tutorial by Lois Dean on how to create this romantic lamp. Once in click on Issue 12. http://www.northerndipper.com/news_archives.php Our mail bag is bursting at the seams and we have letters, links and photos to share. We love the mail bag, never know what is going to show up next and as there are so many facets of the gourd life, it can never get boring.  It is winter in many parts of the country and last summer's gourds are drying quite nicely amid the frost, ice, wind and snow. There are gourds on the go on the work table and to complete the picture make yourself a hot cup of tea and relax for a moment with this February issue of Gourd Fever.  Maureen Hall has had an adventuresome life and gourds have always made an appearance in one way or another. Born and raised in South Africa, Maureen loved the colours and smooth textures of the calabash (gourd) pieces she would see at the markets but at the time she did not realize that calabash could be used as an art medium. At the time she would have never imagined that in her future she would be creating gourd art in Australia! After emmigrating to Australia Maureen found herself at a local tip and low and behold she found a gourd for sale. She took it home and cut it into a bird feeder and started to research gourd art on the Internet. Maureen was amazed at all the information she found, art that was inspirational and eye-opening. Her thirst to delve into this new area was overwhelming and soon she found a supplier of gourds. Then the acrylic paint, a cheap burner, a then a more expensive one filled her kitchen table. A carving set, lots of experimentation and the addiction was set. A new workshop was built and now Maureen has a spot that is comfy and a perfect place to let her creative energies flow.  Maureen's special boy eating from her very first bird feeder. Two years have passed since Maureen picked up that first gourd and she has learned alot. In that short time her techniques have changed and developed and she has become much more adventuresome in her work. With no formal art training or previous involvement in art there have been some challenges but that is all part of the fun. Much is learned just by trying and sometimes what initially seems like a dreadful mistake turns out to really add to a piece. Before gourds Maureen's energies went into her beautiful gardens. She loves creating spaces and atmosphere by using colour and texture. Beginning with an idea Maureen states that gardening requires great patience as it is not an instant art form. The reward comes after a season or two when the end result is apparent. This is when people stop to admire, chat and get lost in the wonderful scents.  Maureen's Garden We had to know what the gourd scene is like in Australia and soon learned that Australia is similar to Canada in the fact that it is a huge land mass and gourd artists are spread out all over the place. Consequently Maureen has not met any other gourd artists but instead depends on the Internet to communicate with other artists and to learn new techniques. She does have some books including Bonnie Gibson's book which she just loves. As far as suppliers Maureen only knows of one commercial grower in Australia which is The Danish Flower Shop in Toowoomba, Queensland. There may be one in Western Australia as well but its whereabouts is unknown to Maureen. Like many gourd artists Maureen is always on the lookout for anything gourd related. She stops at every art and craft shop, art shows and gift shops and a sighting is a rare bird indeed.  In November 2010 Maureen planted a large gourd crop in her garden. With the help of a good friend they erected a 30 metre trellis like structure and now she is waiting with anticipation for the bounty of gourds that will grow. She also has a small crop drying that will keep her busy for quite a while. Maureen was born and raised in South Africa and left for Australia when she was thirty. Now, twenty years later, she and her husband are retired and doing the things that they love. The first thing they did upon retirement was to buy a caravan (small motor home). They set out to find a place to retire to and ended up travelling 32,000 km. And then one Sunday they pulled into a small gold rush town called Gulgong. It was love at first sight and by Tuesday they had bought a house. Their house is a converted church built in 1871. Maureen loves the small village feel of Gulgong and that, combined with her home and garden, is all the inspiration Maureen needs to continue creating her unique gourd art. Thank you Maureen, you are absolutely lovely and we love your art too. Keep in touch; we would love to hear from you. (How are your gourds growing? Let us know!) Carolyn and Linda Out Of The Mailbag!
Hi there, I work at a greenhouse and we grew some of your extra long handled gourds last year. The customers loved them! We loved your seeds and will be ordering again this year. Enjoy the photo. Josh R, MO  Whoa Josh, these gourds are impressive and really make a statement. I can just imagine how your customers were in awe. Did you leave them hanging to dry? Carolyn and Linda  Winding Ivy by Julie-Anne Wallewein Good morning Carolyn and Linda, Just wanted to take a minute to drop you a line and say hello from Saskatchwan. Since attending the Canadian Gourd Festival I have used my new little saw I bought from Northern Dipper and it is great. I intend to use it much more this year.  I have attached a couple of photos showing my work using the Memory Inks. They are very versatile. I really appreciate you showing me all the different techniques at the Gourd Festival. My son is jealous of all the snow Ontario has received. Hope you are able to get around. Have a great year and I look forward to reading all the new issues of Gourd Fever in the upcoming months. Julie-Anne Wallewein, Saskatchwan Hi Julie We are so happy you are enjoying the gourds, tools and inks...we like what you've done. The ivy is lovely to look at and makes us long for summer. As for the snow, if I could, believe I would pack up a foot or two and send it to your son. Can't wait till spring! Take care and hopefully we'll see you again. Linda and Carolyn  The face of the Sultan by Mary Anne Hello, Finally, every last jot and tittle, so to speak, is done on my gourd sultan. Well, except the scarf around the waist. I really enjoyed making this doll. I goofed in a couple of places but I did learn. For example I learned not to put the feet too close together! It doesn't work. The second was not smoothing out the paper clay enough. And I could not measure the accuracy for some reason so I finally gave up trying and just placed a large rubber band around the middle and drew a line around it! So thank you...my finished doll has been a great boost to my ego.
Mary Anne
Mary Anne your sultan is amazing. It is so detailed and we just love his beard. Thanks for sending these photos in...we really enjoyed them. Carolyn and Linda Introducing Henry
Henry, a handsome fellow to be sure, is Carolyn's new cat. He loves to cuddle and show off and has made himself quite at home. The only thing he wasn't to impressed with was his bath.  "Hey this wasn't part of the deal!"  Here's Henry clean and content. He's a beauty. Looking Ahead: March 2011 March is going to be an exciting month for us. First off we are honoured to have with us, as our featured artist, Mary Hogue. Mary's work has a style unlike anyone else making it very unique, beautiful and in demand. She is full of positive energy, an absolute delight, and we are very pleased that she will be here in the March issue of Gourd Fever. We will have an article by Debbie Russell on water cured gourds. This was new to us and we found it quite fascinating. We think you will too.  It's Valentine’s Day in a few days and every year we link into Lois Dean's tutorial on how to make a Valentines gourd lamp. The illumination is beautiful and your walls will be covered with the silhouettes of hearts. Kids love this lamp as will that special someone in your life. So click on Issue 12 in our newsletter archives...there is a link in the introduction of this newsletter. See you next month. Carolyn Cooper and Linda Bond PS If you have any comments, photos or stories send them along to info@northerndipper.com
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