artsy
GOOD GOURD!
Art that’s
PushPin the
boundaries
Th e Oregon Coast Council
for the Arts will mark the 29th
anniversary of Th e PushPin
Show with a public reception this
Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Newport
Visual Arts Center.
Th e show recognizes creative
talent throughout Lincoln County,
displaying original work from
emerging visual artists, established
professionals, craftspeople, poets
and literary artists, hobbyists,
youngsters, oldsters, college
students, retirees and families alike.
Th e only criteria for entry are
that the work be appropriate for a
family-friendly show and that each
piece can be hung using four or
fewer push pins.
Th e Pushpin Show brings
together the resources of the
Newport Visual Arts Center, the
diverse talents of Lincoln County
visual and literary artists, and the
public to celebrate and support
local art. Exhibit guests will be
invited to vote for the “People’s
Choice Award.”
Saturday’s opening reception
will run from 2 to 5 pm in the
Runyan Gallery at the Newport
Visual Arts Center, 777 NW
Beach Drive.
Th e show will run through
Sunday, Dec. 29.
22 • oregoncoastTODAY.com • facebook.com/oregoncoasttoday • December 6, 2019
Decorative and functional gourd artwork by
Newport artist Louise Hemphill will be on display
in “Gourd Play,” opening this Saturday, Dec. 7, at the
Newport Visual Arts Center.
Th is Coastal Oregon Visual Artist Showcase
will open with a public reception from 2 to 5 pm on
Saturday, Dec. 7, featuring a talk from the artist at 4
pm.
“For me, gourds are a source of constant
inspiration and artistic fulfi llment,” Hemphill said.
“Th e joyful play is in watching the gourd evolve
and emerge in my hands from something plain to a
beautiful work of art.”
Hemphill begins by carefully preparing the gourd
— washing, scrubbing and cleaning it inside and out.
After it dries and its natural colors are exposed, she
sits with the prepared gourd in “meditation” until it
speaks to her and the “play” begins.
“Sometimes the gourd calls me to weave threads
into its already-interesting surface, adding beads or
shells or precious stones for further ornamentation,”
she said. “Other times, I paint designs onto its surface
— Indian motifs and tribal patterns in turquoise
and other vibrant colors, or fl oral designs or fl owing
shapes. Sometimes the pulse of the ocean comes
through and wavelike designs emerge or I cut into the
gourd and change its shape, creating more contrast.”
Once the gourds are cleaned, Hemphill coats the
insides with layers of tissue paper or paper towel, and
glue before applying several coats of acrylic paint
followed by a clear, food-safe acrylic sealer.
A native Oregonian and long-time Nye Beach
resident, Hemphill worked at an elementary school
in Newport for more than 30 years. She had always
been drawn to art but never had the time to fully
explore the possibilities of creative expression until
she retired in 1997. She apprenticed with potter
Richard Cabral and studied watercolor with Joyce
Gaffi n.
In the early 2000s, she began experimenting with
wood and wood carving. She became fascinated with
the images that emerged as she whittled, and then in
2016 in Peoria, Oregon, she discovered gourds.
Gourd decoration is an ancient tradition in Africa
and Asia as well as among the indigenous peoples of
the Americas, notably the central highland people
of Peru, and the indigenous nations of the American
Southwest and British Columbia. A variety of
gourd shapes and sizes yields an array of art pieces,
including ornaments, bowls, sculpture, vases and wall
art such as masks.
“Gourd Play,” hosted by the Oregon Coast
Council for the Arts will run through January
25, available to view from noon to 4 pm, Tuesday
through Saturday.