Anne's World: A Violin Making Blog

An inner world: Gaia, harmonious with the melody of life

2011-01-22T18:09:00.000-08:00

Gaia in the end allows the good to remain and eventually erases all traces of folly.

Gaia, a cello

2011-01-22T17:56:00.000-08:00

Gaia, eternally pondering the state of her world.

I carved this image on the front of the scroll with her hair flowing back, mane-like and becoming entwined in the roots and leaves of life on the sides and back.

2011-01-22T17:34:00.000-08:00

To start the new year I now have my second hip-replacement installed. Thank goodness for modern medicine and the expertise of my surgeon, Dr. Ed Atler, for keeping me on my feet and now able to carry on making instruments for another twenty years or so.

At the end of 2010 I finished "Gaia", a cello, built for a young American currently a resident of Zaragoza, Spain. Phil Wilkinson asked for a Montagnana model with an all-encompassing tone, rich with possibilities in all registers. No small request. I think I came close. Phil decided to call his cello Gaia, expressed interiorly in poetry and pictures, and commending to posterity his concept of our world with Gaia intact and content.

At left Phil gets his first look at Gaia completed. On the right is Gaia posing in my front yard fittingly in front of a maple tree.

Attention all Small Cellists

2010-07-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

The newspaper clipping is an old one I just came across while cleaning out my attic. Back in 1973 I was so excited about this vertical viola, that I gave a recital/demo of the instrument which was modeled after those of Carleen Hutchins. At the time I thought this instrument would be the VIOLA that could change the world of viola playing. And now over 30 years later, I still think violas should be played big and vertically. So, attention all small cellists, here is a dream instrument for you!

Guardians of the Bass Bar

2010-07-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

How painful it is to see the bass bar mushed into the fragile top of a new violin. Actually, the maker has to be very careful not to let the crocodile clamps press down too hard or the top could be distorted. To insure the safe clamping, I invoked the aid of the Kitty-Sprites who are known to protect anything from anyone or anyone from anything. The violin is a 7/8th size instrument which is being made for Ann Guinee, wee wizard of Seattle.

Kingfisher

2010-07-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

Here is the beginning of a violin with slightly smaller dimensions which will enable a slightly built young woman to play with physical ease and relaxation. The violin will be named the Kingfisher.

2010-06-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

Back when we were cute ape-like creatures, I think we used to yodel back and forth to each other from tree to tree. That was before we could even say, "hi". Music came before language and is deeply embedded in the more ancient layers of our brains.

From the experience of many years teaching music and witnessing the upwelling of music in children unrelated to their IQ scores, language or reading levels, I have come to the conclusion that music is one of the most inexplicable talents that we as humans possess.

The cello, "Angel of Grief", you see on the left was recently completed for Aaron Baca. May he pass on his gift for music and this cello to his own child someday.

2010-06-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

Kosmo

2009-11-29T19:15:00.000-08:00

Kosmo poses with his new family. Check out Lester Kong on youtube.

Kong's Kosmo Goes to his Home Galaxy

2009-11-29T19:09:00.000-08:00

After a journey in my shipping case, Noah, Kosmo has settled down in his new orbit.

Gaia, Earth Mother continued

2009-11-19T20:54:00.001-08:00

Inscriptions and poems to next generations of musicians are also inside.

Gaia's portrait is on the neck block inside the cello.

Gaia, Earth Mother

2009-11-19T20:33:00.000-08:00

Above is the finished inside painting in Gaia, and here is the sketch.

Cinamon, the cat checking out the progress of Gaia as the ribs are being glued on.
Phil, for whom the cello is intended and George, the cat who has made a temporary bed inside the ribs.
The photos coming up will show Gaia, a cello in various stages of development. Here you can see the back of the scroll which is adorned with leaves and flowers twined among the strands of Gaia's long hair.

Aaron's Agenda

2009-07-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

The entire interior has taken on shape and some of its color as I try to give life to the inspired ideas Aaron Baca communicated to me regarding his ideal instrument.

2009-07-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

This tiny tower appears in the distance of the landscape interior.

2009-07-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

The idea for a dome in the landscape came from the interior space of the cello and was confirmed by Aaron Baca, cellist for whom the instrument is being created. Aaron spent some time in Florence where Brunelleschi's famous dome was erected.

Challenging Cello

2009-07-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

The statue is sketched in and the night sky looks foreboding. The grain of the wood helps to determine the lay of the land. Aaron Baca who ordered the cello and the theme is hoping to give a message to humanity as well.

The interior of the Angel Cello is to be painted after El Greco's View of Toledo and include a Brunescelli-like dome and the Angel of Grief statue.

The Blank Slate - Actually a Poplar Slate.

The back is glued onto the rib garland. After the clamps come off, the interior will be ready...

Viola, the Cat

2009-05-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

The stray starving cat is named Viola because she came into my life five minutes before Sarah's viola lesson.

Abandoned Animals

2009-05-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

I just rescued a tiny cat, skin and bones, 4.9 pounds - probably dumped by someone too lazy to take care of it in the open space behind my home. I'm supposed to be blogging about making violins, but this gross human behavior gets under my skin.

Sue Hunt arrives from London

2009-04-20T08:37:00.001-07:00

Heartsease, a viola I made for Sue Hunt, waits among the spring flowers for her arrival.

Custom Fittings

2009-03-05T16:03:00.001-08:00

Kong's Kosmo

For many of my instruments I also create fittings that reflect the chosen theme. These pegs and tailpiece are to be used in a violin with the cosmos as its thematic soul. First I inlaid the crystals, then incised the designs. Next I carefully pressed gold leaf into the contours. As a protective coating for the delicate gold leaf, I filled in the remaining design depressions with clear epoxy varnish. This should keep the decoration intact over many years and thousands of tunings.

There is a rainbow in all our lives

2009-01-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

Rainbows are everywhere in my life even in winter.

As I was driving home a large rainbow suddenly appeared. Then it morphed into a double-bow.

It disappeared only to reform minutes later over a perfect little peak to the north.

I thought it was gone, but when I came home the rainbow had landed on Heart's Ease, a viola.

Maybe all this is just a post script to the magical inauguration we as a whole country just experienced.

Kong's Kosmos

2008-11-13T16:38:00.000-08:00

The komet in Kong's Kosmos brushes through the atmosphere of a planet seeding music.
A galaxy with constellations in the form of violins spins on the back of the scroll.

The Fight Against Uniformity

2008-10-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

Purfling unlike any I have seen. And I like it. Creating this sort of visual touch can only help one to create a patch of turf different from all the other "lawns" on the block.
These external, and in my case, internal touches don't influence the sound, but they do help to annouce the instrument as an individual in tone as well.

Tap Tones for Lester Kong's Kosmos

2008-08-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

This entry shows the most difficult part of violin making and also where the elusive soul of the instrument is created. In the photo I am holding the violin top at a node and then tapping the center of the instrument with my right hand to produce a "tap tone". The tap tone should be clear and bell-like in both top and back. I like to keep the tap tones about one whole step apart.

Merlin visits from the hereafter to try out Merlin, the viola

2008-08-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

Actually David Wright who lives on the planet right now in Minneapolis and is a member of the Minneapolis Orchestra is pictured here playing a new viola of mine called Merlin. While David is a fine violinist/violist, there is no doubt in my mind that he is also something of a wizard. Merlin, the viola, is a 16" instrument which David latched on to in preference to the other violas I had him try out. David played on Merlin this summer when the viola was only a couple of months old. And I must say, that the instrument had a clarity of sound and quickness of response which sounded magical to my ears... or maybe it was just the Merlin in David playing tricks on me.

Sixteen Months of Work and a Viola is Complete

2008-08-04T20:41:00.000-07:00

A viola typically takes between 16 to 18 months to complete. This one is calle the Bluebonnet after a lupine which blooms in the hill country of Texas. The flower is pictured on the back of the scroll and inside the instrument along with Gloria (featured a few days ago).

Visitors in the Backyard of My World

2008-08-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

The first photo is my Cherie, a frequent visitor. Next is the matriarch, Beth, with her children. Cherie is second in line. The three does in this photo are now up in the mountains with their new fawns. They will bring them into the yard when the moms have taught them a few "street" smarts.

New Top for Titus Finished

2008-08-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

The new(on the left) Titus sits next to the old top which was cracked along the soundpost and bassbar, two cracks which would have devastated the value if not the tone had the old top just been repaired. This job took about 3 months.

Baby Gloria cavorting in the Bluebonnets

2008-08-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

This is Gloria, one of John Bradford's new longhorn calves. It is hard to imagine that she will grow up to be just like her two aunties out there in the pasture. Gloria will stay forever young inside my new viola, The Bluebonnet.

New Top for Titus, the Viola

2008-08-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I started the first blog of my life at age 63. Today I erased it by accident and am starting over with a photo of the result of another accident involving Titus, the viola whose top was smashed in transit three months ago. Violin makers have many hurdles to over come. The risks involved in modern shipping are just a few.

Now Titus has a new top which will be purfled and varnished soon. I used western red cedar for the new top which is the same type of wood I used in the original top. I am hoping that the sound will be just as good as the original.