Mike Watts,
the Chairman of the Gourd, took to art as soon as he was able
to hold a crayon. Throughout his childhood, he developed an appreciation
for
his surroundings. He would sit in trees for hours with pastels and pad,
or
in a meadow with watercolors and canvas. Years of continuing his art made
it clear that he would center his life on his love for art.
After high
school,
Mike attended Hanover College. He is now a professional artist and lives
in
Tell City, Indiana with his wife Jema. They have three children, daughter
Laura,
and sons Evan and Matthew. (They also support three dogs and
myriad
deer, rabbits and other wildlife abundant on their ten-acre homestead.)