I am a self-taught sculptor and luthier who works primarily in domestic woods.  I grew up in Saco, Maine and been carving for over forty years.  As a subtractive sculptor, I take away from a single block with hand tools, often leaving tool marks behind as a sort of fingerprint.  My preferences of wood are apple, cherry, white and black walnut.  These are hardwoods with very distinctive grains and colors.  I also work in marble, soapstone, alabaster, pumpkin, ice and snow.

My style is a fusion of realism and neo-classicalism.  This enables the viewer to recognize the subject matter and at the same time allows me the freedom of self-expression. The goal of each piece is to show motion in the subject matter. Whether it be a puffin standing on a rock, with its head turned ninety degrees, inquisitively looking at something that just startled it or a falcon,  half a second from flight.  The sculpture's emotion allows the viewer to recognize a bit of humanity in the subject portrayed.

The custom guitars are one-of-a-kind with an eye to ergonomics. I also input some of the carving skills I’ve acquired over the years.  The necks and bodies are all shaped with hand tools that I use to make furniture.  I also enjoy experimenting with and building my own pickups and the different sounds that are capable from a variety of pickup styles. 

My work is available at my home stuido, art galleries and music stores. Some are The Wright Gallery / Kennebunkport, ME  -  Mainely Gallery / Belfast, ME  -  Harvest Gold Gallery / Lovell, ME  -  North Conway Music / North Conway, ME  -  Dube's Music / Freeport, ME.

I have won more than a hundred ribbons, Best of Show awards, prize money and have been featured in DownEast Magazine - October 2024, on Maine Public Radio; TV -  Steve Minich, WMTW segment "Made in Maine"; WCVB Boston, CHRONICLE with Nicole Estaphan; Doug Rafferty's 'Doug's Discoveries' , newspaper features and Lake Living Magazine.  I now live in Bridgton, Maine with my wife, Loraine and our dog, Isabel.   
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WILLIAM JANELLE                             21 BROADWING WAY, BRIDGTON, ME 04009 
207-647-0949 or text 207-595-5639                 [email protected]