About

Professionally, I am a software developer and business owner of Re:discovery Software, Inc., software for museum collections management.

As a luthier, I specialize in stringed instruments, mostly guitars in the style of the early 19th century.  

As a musician, I play classical guitar, lute, vihuela, acoustic guitar and mandolin.  I played guitar, lute and vihuela in a baroque ensemble, the Shenandoah Consort.  I have played a lot of solo classical guitar as an amateur.  I also enjoy playing guitar, mandolin and sometimes banjo with the music team at our church.

As an artist, way back many years ago in high school, I started drawing birds.  In 2018, when I began to help my wife Janice as her primary caregiver, I thought I could begin to draw again.  In some ways, I tried to imitate Janice’s style, but also tried to develop my own.  

The drawings and paintings on this site are all done at her elbow.  Janice still has the eye of an artist although she doesn’t have enough control over her right hand to draw and paint, she can look at my efforts and tell me what is good, bad and sometimes what can be done to correct defects.  Janice has been learning to draw with her left hand and shows some excellent results although she finds it very difficult and therefore doesn’t enjoy it as before. 

About book illustrations, my mother, Joan Young Edwards, has been putting finishing touches on poems and stories she has been writing for over 70 years (which was a big surprise to me!).  My sisters have been helping her to organize these writings and I thought that if I could come up with illustrations, we could publish them.

As a result, at the age of 94, my mother is now a published author of two books of stories and poems and as of this writing, is completing two more books of stories which we also hope to publish.

The Willow Tree Stories and Poems and Willow Tree Stories and Poems Volume 2 are available to order on Amazon by following the highlighted links.

I hope you enjoy them!

David L. Edwards, November 19, 2023