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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!
 Princess Moonbeam designed by Marla Helton
In This Issue: We are pleased to have with us Marla Helton, an Indiana artist who has been involved with gourd art since the early days. Marla has always 'coloured outside of the lines' and her work reflects this independent thought and creativity. Marla Helton's speciality is combining unique weaving with gourds and her work has been featured in high-end art shows and galleries. Next to working with gourds Marla loves to teach. We know that you will enjoy meeting Marla in this issue of Gourd Fever.  This month is the last of the series "The Art of Growing Gourds." During the harvest feelings can be bittersweet. Growing gourds is such a rewarding experience that it is missed when it is not happening. But we know in our hearts that winter will pass quickly and soon we will be back in our gardens tying up vines and pollinating.  Lots of mail and trivia, shows and gourd sightings but first off please welcome Marla Helton, October's featured artist. Marla Helton  It was early on in the gourd movement and Marla Helton had an idea; an idea that was formed out of necessity as well as creative thought. Unbeknownst at the time, this idea was going to change her life. Back in 1988 Marla took a basket weaving course. She had always loved weaving but not the traditional type baskets. She visualized two mediums coming together and in her mind a beautiful combination was weaving and pottery. Marla and a friend, who was a potter, collaborated and came up with a product line called "Potskets." They were an instant hit but after a short time the pottery end of things could not physically keep up. It was just impossible. "Mmm" thought Marla "Why can't I combine weaving with gourds" and here the idea of mixed media combining gourds and weaving was born.  Gourd with yucca As a child Marla was always encouraged to pursue whatever interested her and often chose non-traditional paths. She laughs when she says " I guess you could say I always coloured outside of the lines!"
Fear of failure did not hold her back because she realized early on that when moving into new areas of exploration there was bound to be some failure along the way. One fear came in the form of not being accepted by the buying public but this was definitely not the case at all. Marla's approach to design is exploratory and she often sees ideas in other mediums that will inspire her. She then explores ways to incorporate these ideas into her own gourd art.  Orange Harmony Self-taught, Marla states that she will turn to a book for guidance but will generally experiment and develop a technique that works for her. She does a lot of coil weaving and also works with metals and torching.
Constantly trying out new things, sometimes just to see if they will work, keeps her art alive and fresh. Her attitude is that sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but who cares - it is all part of the learning curve and most importantly, it's fun. A lifetime love of recycling has been applied to Marla's gourd art and it was actually how the Wild Women were "born". She would either have damaged gourds or pieces of gourds left over from projects and would just hate to throw them away. She decided to use the pieces and created the "wild women". Soon the wild women had names and little stories to go with them. People began to say that a book should be in the works thus 'The Wild Women of Gourdia' came to be. As it turned out these gals and their stories were actually a blessing in disguise because when the economic downturn hit, the wild women turned into major sellers for a while.  Harmony - Red Kettle When asked about her life apart from gourds Marla just smiled and said," I have a great life that has provided me with the excitement of travelling to shows, teaching and pleasure. But in the end I always look forward to coming home to the peace and quiet of the farm. It provides me with a very harmonious balance in my life." "My late husband and I had two boys, now grown and off on their own. I am blessed with a beautiful grand-daughter and daughter in law."  ""In 2003 I lost my husband to cancer and it left me feeling very lost and vulnerable. But life moves in mysterious ways and one day at an art show I met my current partner. He kept coming back and buying gourds from me until we finally went out for dinner. And then when I was travelling to Vermont to teach at Stowe, he took a class from me." "Not long after that, Stu Fabe left his corporate career in Cincinnati and joined me on my farm where we both do art work on gourds. His work is amazing and his coiling is superb." (Stu will be featured in next month's issue of Gourd Fever!) To view more of Marla's art and to see her show/class schedule click here: http://www.serendipitygourdart.com/// Thank you Marla, it was a pleasure meeting you. We love your work and if we ever have an opportunity to participate in any of your workshops we'll be the first in line! Carolyn and Linda The Art of Growing Gourds  This is the last of the series "The Art of Growing Gourds" and this year it seems as though we were just soaking our seeds and now here we are getting ready for the harvest! Just a quick review: 1.) In the north do not harvest until the vines are dead as a result of the first hard frost. (Your vines will look like the above photo.) 2.) Leave a couple of inches of stem when you cut the gourds from the vines. 3.) Drying can happen outside or in an unheated garage, shed or barn. Make sure there is good air circulation as it aids drying. 4.) The gourds will take a few months to dry. Once you can hear the seeds rattling around you will know it is time to wash and craft. 5.) If the gourds develop soft spots or cracks the chances are high that they will rot...time to toss those ones out.  A thick black mold will form on drying gourds. The last thing to look after in your gourd garden is very important. It is 'Clean Up.' Get rid of all the gourd vines, broken gourds and weeds. Cucumber beetles hibernate in the soil and an ideal place is soil that sits under garden debris so clean up!
It has been a great year and as we do the harvest our minds will already be travelling ahead to think about all the things we are going to do with these gourds. We are bubbling over...it is so cool growing our own art supplies! We will be back in the spring, seeds in hand, ready to witness this beautiful gourd growing cycle. Each year can be different so with anticipation we will wait and dream.
Out of the Mailbag
 Regenerate by Julie Anne Hi Carolyn, This is one of my latest works. I am getting ready for the Estevan & Area Art's Council Adjudicated Art Show which is in November. Thanks, Julie Anne Thanks Julie Anne, this is beautiful; I love your choice of colour and the design draws the eye in for further study. Good luck at the show, Carolyn  An ideal day for gourd shopping. Hello, My name is Lily and I have been referred to you by a friend with regards to the gourds. I have a dance school that uses these gourds as a hula implement and I was told that you may have what I am looking for. These dance implements are called IPU heke and are unique to the Islands of Hawaii. Is an appointment necessary? When is it a good time? You can reach me at..... Thank you in advance, Lily Talebian "Kupa A Lau Ka Mole Kuhohonu" Deep roots continue to bud forth and florish.  Hi Lily, As you can see from the photos this letter was sent a couple of weeks ago and you and your group did come out to Northern Dipper. It was very nice meeting all of you. The young women are so enthusiastic and refreshing. If you ever have public performances let us know; we would like to come to see you. Carolyn and Linda Mama's Little Helper
 This is Henry,Carolyn's Siamese helping out in the studio. In addition to being an artist assistant Henry loves to charm the ladies. It is difficult to see him in the following photo but there he is up on a cat-lover's shoulder getting lovies!
 After his official hello he will run & get one of his toys. "Throw it" he meows, liking to impress his guests with his fine retrieving skills! Henry you are handsome & a character too.
Looking Ahead: November 2011 Next month we are thrilled to have Stu Fabe gracing the pages of Gourd Fever. Stu is a delightful man with a strong business and art background. For years he was involved in the fast paced world of corporate fundraising that aided many large Cincinnati institutions and at the same time, he was a serious photographer with five solo exhibitions under his belt. Life was busy. One day it all changed in the blink of an eye, or to be more accurate; it changed when Cupid pulled his bow tight and pointed it towards Marla Helton (whom you just met in this months newsletter!) Shortly afterwards Stu gave up his life in Cincinnati and now spends his time creating gourd art, doing shows and enjoying his life with Marla on their farm in Indiana. Please welcome Stu Fabe in the November issue; we know you will find him fascinating.  Christmas is right around the corner and to celebrate we are presenting a tutorial on 'Making a Gourd Snowman.' Using a kettle gourd, these snowmen are adorable and easy to do. You may just want to make one for everyone on your list. There is still lots of mail in our bag waiting to be shared plus gourd sightings, trivia, music picks...can you tell we have fun here at Northern Dipper! See you next month and if you can make it to the Balls Falls Thanksgiving Festival Craft and Art Show or the London Arts and Craft Show stop by; we would love to meet you. Until then, happy trails! Carolyn Cooper and Linda Bond Any ideas, stories and comments can be sent to: info@northerndipper.com |
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