Traditions: Ohio Heritage Fellows; 102; Mark Ward interview, part 4 of 4

Q: Why are Doug’s... why is his work considered work of art?

MARK: Doug’s banjo’s are considered works of art because he thinks about them and he thinks really intently about them. He just doesn’t throw these things together or copy a banjo that’s been around for a hundred years. He looks at them and he has notebooks, piles of notebooks in which he’ll take these designs and he’ll make variations of the design, one after the other and he can sit down and show you, he can draw it, and say well this is the way this person did it, this is the way they used to look at this time period, here’s how I did it but I’ve also done this way. So he thinks about what he does. He puts these things together very intelligently. Um, and of course, his artistic ability allows him to see how the shapes fit together.

Q: Obviously, it’s all about... to me, from what I’m witnessing so far, it’s about patience. What is it about Doug that lets him to be able to sit at a bench for, I think, it sounds like hours and create these things?

MARK: I think that Doug was born to be an artist and I think that an artist needs the kind of mentality in which he can become lost within himself and lost within his work. And I think everybody has been in a situation where an hour has gone by in a minute. And I think that’s what happens with Doug. I think that he sits down and the hours go by in minutes.

Q: When you look at one of Doug’s instruments, what do you see?

MARK: The hand of the master. Restating: When I look at Doug’s instruments I see the hand of a master. I see the hand of somebody who has a really good eye for engraving, for shading, for color, for setup, for symmetry, all of those things fit together to make his banjo’s what they are. Um, he can... he’ll... he’ll... he’ll show me an engraving and I’ll look at it and I’ll say that’s perfect. And he says no, I’m... I’m gonna tear that one out. That’s... that’s... that’s terrible. I’ll say what’s wrong with it? And he says well it’s not good. I say, well what’s wrong. He says I just see better than you. And that’s what makes Doug Doug is he has an artistic eye.

Q: What has he done for the community of instrument makers and the tradition of instrument making?

MARK: I think he’s ratcheted... he’s... I... I think that he’s... he’s pushed it up a notch. I think people try to get things as good as Doug’s is what happens. So... so there’s a level of engraving that people now aspire to. And while that’s good, and this is good but have you seen Doug’s work? And so I think that people who are banjo makers will look at Doug’s work and see that there is just something a little bit extra there that they can’t quite touch.

Q: Why should Doug be an Ohio Heritage Fellow?

MARK: Doug’s been doing... Doug should be an Ohio Heritage Fellow because he’s been doing this a very long time. He’s not only contributed to Ohio musically with his banjo playing, he’s contributed with it artistically with his paintings, and he’s also contributed it... contributed to it through his banjo making and his mandolin making. I mean, he makes gorgeous mandolins, he makes beautiful banjos um, and he plays a great banjo. What more do you want? Restating: Doug should be an Ohio Heritage Fellow because he’s contributed so much to the Ohio Arts scene. I mean, with his music, with his banjo playing um, through his instrument making. He makes wonderful mandolins, he makes beautiful banjos um, he’s an incredible painter. He’s um, a wonderful artist and a wonderful teacher. He absolutely should be and I.... sorry..

Q: What else should I ask you?

END