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 In This Issue: Pack your bags everyone! We are off to Australia to have some gourd fun with Maxene and Geoff, owners of Mothar Mountain Gourds. This dynamic couple are inspiring. They gave up their day jobs to pursue their dreams of becoming full-time artists and in addition are commercial gourd growers which can be a full time job just in itself. They also do trade shows, have art classes for children at their local gallery and do art for charity. Each have their own distinctive style when it comes to art as well as their own unique approach towards design. Maxene paints with her intuition using colour and free designs. Geoff is more precise and studied; he is an inventor and will often give a new twist to everyday objects. Both are fascinating and we are certain that you will enjoy them just as much as we have. (Pictured above is one of Maxene's gourd hat creations and below is Geoff's whale.)  It has been a quick summer and in most places September brings cooler night time temperatures. The day time temperatures are warm which is exactly what the maturing gourds in the garden need. At this time of year it is tempting to cut the gourds from the vine simply because they are big. Please don't! They still have a couple of more months to go. Read on gourd gardeners and get the facts on the harvest and the drying process. When, why and how are questions we will be looking at...soon you will all be able to consider yourselves experts. (Below: One of Maxene's chickens.)  Also some great letters, trivia and an interesting music pick this month. So pull up a chair, relax and prepare to enter the world of Mothar Mountain Gourds located in that wonderful 'land down under' Australia. (Below: Geoff's carving Summer Harvest.)  Maxene & Geoff: The Artists Behind Mothar Mountain Gourds
About 2 hours north of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia lies a beautiful rural property. It is the home of Mothar Mountain Gourds. As you enter there are hills of gourd plants in the field thriving under the hot Australian sun. Approaching the house there are colourful gourd chickens eyeing you up. And at the door are Maxene and Geoff, an energetic couple who have their fingers in many pots. Four years ago Maxene and Geoff barely knew what a gourd was but a small packet of seeds, bought at the local produce store, changed all that. The seeds produced 100 gourds to their amazement but because they had no idea as to what to do with them, the gourds were thrown in a shed where they sat. Twelve months later while at her pottery class, Maxene happened upon a magazine picture of some wild crazy birds. She thought to herself "I can do that with my gourds." Little did she know back then that this decision would change her life in ways she could not imagine.  Geoff is a farmer and mechanic by trade. Back then Geoff was only interested in growing gourds until Maxene brought home a gourd art book with pictures of carved gourds and lattice work. He went straight to his workshop and tried to make one with his farmer's tools. Frustrated Geoff quickly realized it wasn't going to work so he went down to the hardware store and bought a $200.00 Dremmel. He hasn't stopped carving since and is always coming up with new ideas. Examples are his new "Gourd-O-Phone" - a small, portable model is presently a work-in-progress. Geoff uses more of a scientific approach in his art compared to Maxene. He likes to experiment with design and will take his time perfecting it. He is very much a gadget man and likes to experiment making lights, torches, instruments and other practical things. He even makes things not so practical such as spaceships and futuristic designs. (Geoff's race car. It's hard to see in this photo but the entire audience is made up of Maxene's gourd chickens!)  Maxene on the other hand has been into art since she could hold a pencil in her hand. She loves drawing and painting and has decorated everything from T-shirts to terra cotta pots. She likes to do some functional/practical art as she finds that is what sells but regardless of whether it is functional or whimsical it is all beautiful. When creating a piece of art Maxene usually goes with her intuition. She will begin by putting a couple of colours onto the gourd surface and then keeps adding dots, dashes and flowers until it looks good. Lately she has tried to use themes such as the colours of the ocean, Mexican colours or even landscape shades. The reason? Maxene had to do 100 birds for a garden show...she was thrilled with the results and loved the challenges she created for herself.  Maxene and Geoff sell much of their art and raw gourds at local markets focusing on garden shows and Christmas and Easter Fairs. They also sell a small but constant amount at their local gallery gift shop. Maxene states that the one thing she has learned is to not sell on consignment; no one can sell your work like you can. Others may disagree but Maxene is the type of person who likes to control her own destiny. They do have farm visits by appointment only and have held quite a few children's classes at their local gallery. The kids love it and Maxene finds they give her great ideas with their unlimited imaginations. They have had interest from adults and are looking forward to holding classes in the near future for them as well. There is a very small gourd industry in Australia and with classes, a good website and trade shows Maxene and Geoff are hoping to change that. Every week they find more and more people who are interested or who has done gourd art. They have customers making lamps, fairy houses, dolls and instruments; one is doing interpretive dance with gourds and others are making a variety of art. Their customer base is varied and is constantly growing. Maxene and Geoff encourage artists to show them what they are making so they can share their experiences and help promote both the artist and their art through their website. Community involvement is part of the Mothar Mountain Gourds philosophy and recently Maxene organized a charity fashion parade where she made gourd hats....now that was really different! To learn more about Mothar Mountain Gourds and to view more of Maxene's and Geoff's art click here: http://www.motharmountaingourds.com/ Out Of the Mailbag  Hello ladies, I hope the photos came through. I call them, "Produce, process and product." I actually made a playable gourd banjo! It was really an interesting experience and I learned a lot. One of the trickiest bits for me was getting an even remotely level cut on the gourds. I did use them both and have to laugh because the so-called practice gourd turns out to have the "nicer" voice.  Now, because of the manner of construction, it is relatively easy to switch out the gourds. This got me thinking, "What if I could try again? Wouldn't it be nice to try a larger gourd." So I'm wondering if I could ask you to keep an eye out for something more in the 10" to 12" range? I understand that that size of gourd is less common so I'm not holding my breath or anything, but if you could keep me in mind I'd really appreciate it.  Thanks again for the advice and for selecting such beautiful gourds for my fumbling first effort. I consider it a grand success! Bob Trueman Hi Bob Thanks for sending in these photos. It is a fine looking banjo and I bet it has great tone. Regarding large gourds we have lots; I'll have a look and will email you. Look forward to your next success. Carolyn  Hello Carolyn and Linda, Here is a photo of my latest lamp. Everyone that has seen it likes it. I hope you do too! Douglas Allen Hi Douglas, I do like it! It must be gorgeous in a room filled with darkness. Thanks for sending the photo in. Carolyn UPDATE: Last month we featured Beth Peart and would like to add a link to her website which shows her art in detail. Please click on the following: http://omoesuodara.blogspot.ca/ The World's First "Car In A Bag"  Twenty-six year old Japanese engineer Kuniako Saito of Cocoa Motors, Japan has developed the world's first "car in a bag." Weighing in between 2-3 kilograms (4.4 - 6.6 pounds), this transporter can support weight up to 265 pounds. This aluminum "walk car" can reach up to 6.2 miles per hour and can travel up to 7.4 miles after 3 hours of charging. It is run with a lithium battery. To operate it just stand on it. Your shifting weight will change it's direction. To stop all you have to do is step off. It is sturdy enough for a person to use it while pushing a wheelchair and the best part is that it is small enough to fit into a backpack. Priced at about $800.00 it is easy to imagine that many people will be interested in its purchase. To learn more about this "car in a bag" click here:  Looking Ahead: November 2015 NEXT ISSUE: We are thrilled to have with us Susan Levesque, a well-known Canadian gourd artist who has had her work featured in Jim Widess's book "The Complete Book of Gourd Carving" along with other publications. Susan's art contains many different elements and is sought after by those who like "one of a kind" art. Very much into nature, the images which Susan uses are reflections of what she sees on her frequent hikes or canoe trips. For other designs she travels with her imagination which is full of colour and interesting composition. You are in for a treat in November with our featured artist Susan Levesque. Christmas is right around the corner and we are in top form ready to offer ideas for the artistic person on your Christmas list. In the meantime check out our current workshops. Some will fill very quickly so be sure to sign up today. George Elliot once said "Delicious autumn! My soul is wedded to it , and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." That's how we feel about it too. Wishing you all a wonderful autumn... Carolyn Cooper and Linda Bond
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