I am a luthier and have been making musical instruments for over 30 years. I grew up in Fremantle, Western Australia, where I played a number of instruments in different bands. I began Wildwood Instruments way back in 1999 making musical instruments and travelling around Australia selling them at music festivals. Eventually my partner and I moved to be in the thriving music metropolis that is Melbourne. There was a Wildwood Instruments shop in the heart of Brunswick for a good many years before we moved to Daylesford, where I now run weekend guitar making courses. My art career began in 2018 as a more creative outlet than the rather traditional techniques of guitar making. My art is based around musical instruments and the theme of music, a natural progression from my career thus far. Bringing together the skills of luthier, musician and artist I create a very unique style of art. I am able to tell a story with these works, which was not possible when making instruments solely as a functional tool.
I strive to portray the human connection we have with music and musical instruments, taking them beyond a musical art form into a visual world that surpasses their mere physical appearance.
My arts practice thus far has involved the use of many different kinds of musical instruments and a wide range of mediums and techniques. I have sculptures ranging from 25cm to over 3m tall. As varied as they are, they all have a common theme of music.
There is so much to be said about music and the enormous impact it has had on our culture, all throughout human civilisation.
– Skip ahead a few years –
As the story continues, we have lived through some pretty tough times of late. COVID was a difficult time but the Cost Of Living Crisis has proved to be a real challenge as an artist. So again we have to adapt to the circumstances as best we can. The music based art has a very niche market, which has all but dried up in these times. So I reinvented my focus to produce a broader range of woodworking items, possibly pushing into the craft side of things rather than just art. More practical products with a greater appeal, such as lights and lamps, sconces, shelving, candle holders, charcuterie boards, wooden spoons, clocks, trays, baskets and all sorts of wooden items. Forming a new direction in art, along with the craft, and moving into recycled timber artworks with a broader scope in themes. Whilst the Wildwood Art Gallery, that opened in 2021, is still open by appointment, it did not attract enough traffic to remain open regular hours. I opened a stall at The Amazing Mill Markets in Daylesford in 2024, which is my main outlet for these new products I make.
It is nice to have a theme to your work as an artist (great for those elevator pitches!) but in all reality to maintain a career as an artist versatility and adaptability is key. Doing many different things is a good survival tactic, especially in difficult times. So whilst I started out pitching myself as a Music themed artist, I now do so many different things, including T-shirt designs, Christmas displays, soundtracks, woodworking, lighting, teaching guitar making, recycled glass work, that classification of my work is no longer so defined. I guess I am just An Artist.