Creating Art to Benefit Guitars For Vets

This is the back of my finished art guitar for Guitars For Vets, a fantastic organization that provides free instruments and lessons to veterans with PTSD and other emotional challenges. Many thanks to Chris Knippel Riemer for reaching out to me and providing a group of artists with unplayable guitars to decorate through a program called "Art Strings".

What an honor it was for me to create this piece that was displayed, along with others, at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts and was then sold to raise funds for the organization Guitars for Vets.

The title of my piece is "Living with Tinnitus"

Tinnitus is one of the leading service-related disabilities among U.S. veterans. It’s also something I’ve been struggling with since June. Often related to hearing loss due to loud noise (as in combat) or an inner ear disorder (in my case) the constant tones, buzzing or whistling can cause anxiety and depression by keeping the brain in a ongoing state of high alert. There’s never a moment of silence.

I’ve used alcohol inks on my guitar to create a bold and chaotic background that represents the disruptive effect of tinnitus on the brain. The copper strings of the guitar are hand shaped to represent the variety of different sounds people hear. The doodles and drawings over the background reflect the process of masking the chaos and finding ways to accept or react to tinnitus in a more positive way.

Here are some of the other Art Guitars that were on display and/or sold to raise funds: