If one takes the time to look around, really look around, he will see all kinds of examples of art. Art created by everyday people who don't consider themselves artist. Examples can be lovingly cared for yard or garden, a cool old car has been brought back to glory, a new piece of music, a cleaver phrase in print. These everyday people are every bit as important as, or more important than the "artist" in bringing beauty to the world. Edwin

A blank canvas can be intimidating. However any blob of ink or color will traansform that blank canvas into something from which to work. Edwin

Tiny differences a face beautiful or ugly. Tiny differences make a guitar shape beautiful or ugly too. Or uncomfortable to hold, or play. Those tiny differences however do not mean the same thing to different people. An artist can try to please the masses, those who see things much the same as each other in an attempt to become financially successful. But then the artist is not expressing his or her self, but the perceived notion of what others see. An artist must pursue his own paths,or he is not at all an artist, but a fraud, a cheat, a person deceiving himself.

Nature certainly is the greatest of all artists. But how many people see the art. Most take it for granted. Is the heel cap a clever ink on wood drawing of a mountain with jungle scene or simply a piece of rotting maple found in a wood pile? How do we as artists make peoples eyes open to there surroundings? Edwin

Do notes played on a blond guitar sound airy? Yes, sometimes. There is certainly art in the looks of a guitar. There is certainly art in the texture of a guitar. But most important of all is the little know art of voicing a guitar as its being built to achieve proper and wonderous sound. Edwin

People, it is said, prefer blonds. It is certainly true with guitars. Here pictured are two guitars with very similar shape, and tops from the same log. The difference being the wood for the back and sides. One has the dark beautiful East Indian Rosewood, the other Quilted Maple. My customers have thus far preferred the light color over the dark by at least two to one. Does anyone have an explanation for this phenomena? Edwin

Art must be whatever makes us as humans feel. Not necessarily feel good or better or different. Just feel. If a piece of art makes us feel good, perhaps we will buy it, or visit it, or listen to it again. Art is not for the apathetic. Edwin

What the hell is art anyway? Its not beauty. There are more hideously ugly art pieces in the world than not. Is art a lesson. One to be taught by the artist and learned by the audience? I have studies many pieces called art and learned nothing. Or is it the fault of the audience not have learned, or appreciated? Art is certainly not about making money for the artist, as most don't get financially wealthy. Doess anyone know? Edwin

What makes up a pretty face? Almost all people have very similar ideas of this, but facial differences are so minute. Yet these tiny tiny differences make all the difference between beauty and ugly. It it the same for a piece of art? Or is the phenomena reserved only for faces? Edwin

Attention to detail, and detail itself. Does that transform a piece of utilitarian furniture into a work of art? Where is the dividing line between just function or just form? Who decides? Does anyone care? Edwin

The significance of artistic choice can not be undervalued. While one person can see a table leg in a piece of wood, another {or the same person} can see a guitar body. Both of the pictured pieces are from the exact same plank. An artist can see the hidden forms in many mediums. It takes the artist in a person to see the potential and it takes a skilled artist realize the potential. Its the experience, usually a lifetime of experience , that a person buying art is paying for. Edwin

After making a banjo, and learning a bit on how to play like Earl Scruggs, it was discovered that almost no one else plays a banjo. The hope of playing music with others got more distant as time went on. The solution, of course, is to play a guitar, as millions of others do also. Upon looking at guitars for sale, I decided as with many things, to build one. I can certainly make better than what is generally available. Guitars need to sound good, so that the sound is music to ones ears instead of noise. Guitars also need to feel good and be easy to play, so one tends to pick it up often. But what is lacking about many [most] guitars is looks. Most look just like a million others, no personality, no artist flavor. This was my second guitar, Edwin http://www.rootguitars.com

Just Imagine

This is the banjo built aboard Just Imagine. Fun project and fun to play after it was finished. The problems are many when building in a very small space. The mess is certainly one when wife is a clean freak. All hand tools, which is ok. The constant moving of the vessel can be a bit of a problem when doing intricate work. The reality is that put so well years ago by Henry Fort "Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you are surely right".

This be the good ship "Just Imagine" built with my own hands, and the hands of my wife Ruby. After sail the tropics for 5 years we discovered the journey of creation was a lot more interesting than endless white sand beaches. After successfully building a banjo on the aft bunk we decided to pursue a lifestyle more suited to our ways. We came back to the real world to continue creating practical art.