A little about me

I have never really found myself attached to a place. Growing up in a military family, home was never really found in a specific location. I never stayed anywhere long enough to understand or soak in the history of that area. After living in Kentucky for the last fifteen years I have learned what it means to really be part of a community and what it means to take part of a story bigger than ourselves. Kentucky has a rich history of old time music and I found myself drawn to learning the banjo. Not having a banjo, I decided to make one. I was no stranger to woodworking but I was definitely a stranger to this world of Appalachian music. I learned how to play and I soon found my imagination alive with ideas for so many types and styles of banjos. From there, I apprenticed to learn how to make dulcimers and violins. I see instruments as a unique place where my art practice can collide with my craft processes to create something completely new. 

Fore more information on my Fine Art Practice visit www.jdgraham.net 

A little about why

I am drawn to developing instruments that both play well and function as art objects. When you play my instruments, the hope is that you can feel something in them. Maybe you feel the time invested into making the object or maybe you can feel the story behind its making. In any case I find myself creating instruments to connect to other people, even if I never get the chance to meet them. I find great pleasure in striving for the highest level of craftsmanship and precision in every detail. I also want each instrument to be unique for it’s particular owner.  It is the details that help tell a story. The instruments I make are a collection of these elements of time and care, sewn together to create an object that is worth passing down through generations.