Biography
James Macdonald has been creating marquetry and inlay work in his studio in Burnham, Maine since 1989. Before setting out on his own he spent time cabinet making, guitar making and boat building in Connecticut. He moved to Maine in 1984, to build a passive-solar house and has been designing and making fine furniture, guitars, art pieces, and portraiture from his home studio ever since.
Marquetry, a form of surface embellishment dates back as far as the early Egyptians and can be seen on hieroglyphs. The art form came into its own in the 1700's with the invention of the fine toothed saw blade. More recently, fresh air was breathed into the craft in the 1970's by Silas Kopf of Northampton, MA. James studied with and went on to assist Mr. Kopf in the teaching of this craft during workshops at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine.
In 2012, James received his BA with a concentration in Art from Union Institute in Montpelier, VT. Notably, he has created marquetry designs for Hinckley Yachts and the Gibson Guitars’ Custom Shop.
In May of 2018, James successfully completed a crowd-funding campaign to install his Eat A Peach Tribute Guitar in the Allman Brothers Museum at the Big House. James presented the guitar to the Allman Brothers Museum at the Big House during GABBAfest 2018.
My Story.
Why Guitars?
Like many things in my young life, my first guitar was a hand-me-down from my older brother. I still have this cool little instrument, an English Vox solid body with a sunburst finish. My second guitar was a 1968 Gibson Les Paul Standard Goldtop that I bought in 7th grade with money I had saved from delivering newspapers. Much of my musical education, and my initial understanding of fine craftsmanship came from playing and admiring that guitar.
My designs speak to my experience of growing up with a love for music and the shared experience of coming of age with the baby boomer generation. Being the youngest of my family and being born in 1959 gave me a unique vantage point. The 60's were the reality that I awoke to. I am the observant younger brother to a whole generation.
I find that I adapt my playing style to align with the sound and feel of a particular guitar. In making a one-of-a-kind instrument, I am getting to know it intimately through the progression from rough plank of mahogany through to the first time it is plugged in and played.
Why Maine?
In the late '70's, my oldest cousin gave me a subscription to the Mother Earth News magazine. I was a 20 year old hippie wondering what my life was going to look like. The publication's battle cry was move to the country, build your own house and start your own business. So I did. In my new community, I found friends of the spirit, where previously, I had friends based only on close proximity.
Young people still come to Maine to live their dreams of a simple life, but when I built my house in 1984, it felt like I was at the end of a wave of the original back-to-the-lander movement.
Why Marquetry?
Marquetry is a very expressive form of surface embellishment. This craft goes back at least as far as the early Egyptians and can be seen on hieroglyphs. As adornment on furniture, marquetry came into its own in the 1700's with the invention of the fine toothed saw blade. More recently, fresh air was breathed into the craft in the 1970's by Silas Kopf of Northampton, MA and I was fortunate enough to learn from him and later go on to co-teach with him.
I try to catch the mood of my marquetry design as well as the visual impact of the different woods used. I then make further design choices to strengthen this mood. I imagine the music played — smooth jazz to bendy note blues to hard driving rock. I am delighted to see and hear guitarists play my instruments, bringing new and unexpected voices into play.