Today we’d like to introduce you to Craig Lavin.
Craig, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I had just met my wife after college, and discovered the internet. It had just kind of “awakened”, and all of the sudden there were guitar stores online and images of expensive show level guitars and things you didn’t know existed before. I play guitar and owned one or two. I fell in love with the idea of a coral reef inlaid guitar.
I saw there was a master inlay artist, Larry Robinson, who had a book out on the topic and purchased that. I taught myself from his book and then just kept going. Attended guitar shows, met my mentors and heroes. Heroes became mentors, because there was now so much freedom in communication. You can literally reach anyone as long as they will allow it. That was never the case as easily as the internet made it.
I got better at inlay and started offering it out to guitar builders and woodworkers, etc… My work isn’t rooted in traditional inlay art like vines and floral scenes so it got noticed relatively quickly and it has been moving forward ever since.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Relatively smooth, as long as you include that the skills are now done by cnc machines at a lot of the levels. However there is a market for hand made art. People still want real things and that keeps it going thankfully. The biggest struggle is balancing one off original art with clients budgets and timing. It’s a multi person job between the instrument builder and inlay artist and the purchaser and it all needs to stay on track.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My name is Craig Lavin. I do custom art level inlay for instrument builders and wood workers, as well as jewellery at times. I’ve even done a few exotic cars. I have been doing this almost thirty years full time. I work with large companies like Kanile’a ukulele, Jordan electric violins, Elliott guitars, Young guitars, Kamaka ukulele, as well as private and professional small shop builders. I’m known for being non traditional.
I’m proud that after almost thirty years and the invention of tech that can do this job at the lower, middle and sometimes high end that I’m still sought out for commissions. People want unique, And everything I fully hand create is a one off.
What sets me apart form the others is there’s not many of us at the high end, so we can all just be ourselves currently and that’s enough. Our styles are pretty recognizable.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Just keep doing it. Talk to others. The hardest part of doing anything creative is sticking with it, especially these days with social media. It’s easy to see that there is always someone better, but that doesn’t mean they are more organized, that doesn’t mean they sell their work, that doesn’t mean the game is over. It means absolutely nothing to you as an artist, your art is your personal world and your in control of it and its message. Too many people don’t understand that and turn off quickly. Even with social media, not everyone is on it. Every encounter is unique.
I got relatively big in an at the time relatively small group of specialized artists. It hasn’t changed that much.
It doesn’t make tons of money, the materials are expensive, the dust potentially harmful. It’s a labor of love even when it pays.
Pricing:
- $200 to priceless depending on materials and design
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craig_lavin_inlay/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craig.lavin.5
