Laura Sketchbook Post #1
I’ve always been interested in instrument construction and repair, mainly violins and pianos (not that I’ve ever made any real substantial personal advances in this field.) Nonetheless, part of learning a trade is studying the masters of it. In terms of violin construction, one name stands out above the rest: Antonio Stradivari, the famous Italian lutier (stringed instrument maker). In his lifetime he made some 1,000 extraordinary instruments with techniques that are still not understood today. People are so infatuated with the remarkable “Strads” that it is forgotten the talented creator behind it all which I hope to give a fitting face of a dedicated, Italian craftsman.
Itzhak Perlman plays on the “Soil” Stradivarius as seen here. This got me interested in the instruments themselves. The ones that survive today have all been given unique names relative to their history. I am delighted by this and hope to use these names somehow in my drawing as well.