Artist’s Perspective: The wood work of Josh Wascome

As told to Kayla Randall

“Most of my wood work focuses on the natural beauty of the wood. I usually look at a piece, find what I think is most attractive about it and work from there. My custom orders are generally made from trees that hold sentimental value to the client, such as a dying tree that has been on family property for several generations. All the wood I use comes to me in log form, and I process it from there. It’s truly amazing how beautiful some of our local woods can be, especially when you see so much of it waiting for the garbage truck on the side of the road.

This is my first attempt at guitar-making [at right], and a slight variation to a classic Fender Stratocaster design. The neck is made from Bunkie, Louisiana-grown Bois D’Arc mounted to a body of Red Cypress that washed onto the shore of Lake Pontchartrain during Hurricane Katrina. I always wanted to build my own guitar, but I quickly found out why so few do it. In the end, the reluctance to move onto an easier project paid off. It was a truly satisfying labor of love that left me yearning for the opportunity to make another.”

About the artist:

Josh Wascome is an LSU alum born and raised in Baton Rouge. Involved with the local art scene for the past seven years, Wascome currently sells his crafts, including furniture, salad bowls, cutting boards and other kitchenware, and fills custom orders. At the end of 2015, Wascome quit his job in sales to create his art full-time, calling it the best decision he ever made. Most recently, he was a featured artist at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge’s FestForAll. facebook.com/WascomeWoodworks