The Guitar House
or
”We’re All Inside Cats Now”
This piece was created as part of the “Guitars for Music” art show - coordinated by Oasis Art Gallery in Harrisonburg, VA, in 2021.
42 blemished Yamaha guitars were the canvas for artists to repurpose however they wished. The resulting show was an adventure through all matter of guitar-shaped art - a coffee table, a lamp, a bench, a musical clock, a spice rack, a sunset diorama. Britney reached back to her childhood hobby of building dollhouses.
The carpentry in this piece is crude, but concealed under a riot of teeny textures. Britney had the luxury of time to construct the miniature, as it was the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic, it was winter, and she had a broken ankle. Countless hours went into each detail as she designed a house it might be fun to live in… no bathroom, but a great sound studio in the basement as a nod to the musical cause the artwork sales would raise money for.
Resembling a cozy brick rowhouse, the exterior features a roof with guitar pick shingles, a balcony with chaise and umbrella on the living room level, and window boxes on the kitchen/studio level.
The interior consists of four stories connected by a spiral staircase.
The basement is where band practice happens - a drumset and keyboard are tucked among the shelves of household items. (This webpage was built 3.5 years after the guitar, and it’s unclear if a mini-guitar was added to the mix or if the fact that the piece is inside a guitar was enough guitar content.)
The first floor is a spin on Britney’s life’s kitchens - her grandma’s avocado appliances, the chrome 1950’s table from her great-grandmother’s kitchen. The starburst artwork a nod to the vintage clock collection of The Artful Dodger (circa late 90’s).
She debated on putting a bathroom on this floor - it’s practical to keep all the plumbing in one area - but decided this isn’t a REAL house. It doesn’t even have a front door! So she figured the artist must have a place to play as well and added an art studio complete with itty bitty paintings drying in the cabinet.
The second floor is a midcentury modern-style living room with bits of coral and seashells as decoration and shelves full of books. This space has a large round window and opens onto a sunny balcony.
The top floor is a tranquil bedroom with a funky fabric headboard and midcentury modern bureau. The bed’s coverlet is a remnant of hand-tatted lace from one of Britney’s grandmother’s handkerchiefs.
Inside the Process
The first challenge was sawing the guitar in half to reveal the inside. Fortunately, guitars are made of very thin wood and it separated like buttah.
Finding out what a guitar looks like inside! The plan for 4 floors came about after the bracing bars were revealed on the back side - perfect for stabilizing floors!
Thin wood does not support hinges nicely, so clunky blocks of plywood scraps reinforced them and also served as a place to conceal the mounting wires.
Base Coats! The colorful world that lives under the details. Velvet scrap fabric is the perfect nap for mini-carpets.
The scale of the furniture was kept consistent thanks to the help of a little cardboard figure. Sofa and chair were made of popsicle sticks, toothpicks, and fabric scraps.
Pro-tip: Egg cartons make great paint palattes!
This little fellow was quite busy testing the mini-furniture made from foam-core board, toothpicks, and wire.
Easel, drum kit, and coffee table- small enough to fit in a widemouth jar lid.
Plastic straws, wire, and cardstock make up the drum kit - quite a trial of patience!
After a hard day toiling in the furniture shop, CardboardBro gets to rest on comfy cushions.
Getting to see your own artwork in the window display of an art gallery on Main Street in your hometown? Priceless.