Your monthly e-zine from Luna Guitars - March 2007

In this issue

What's Your Fantasie?

On My Drawing Board

Staff Notes

Win an Andromeda Phoenix

What's Your Fantasie?

In worlds where faeries fly free in the moonlight and women mesmerize with their haunting beauty, music is a constant companion to the spirit. So begins the description in this year's Luna Guitars catalog of our very special Fantasie line of guitars. From the beginning, the Fantasie instruments have captured players' imaginations with their use of the latest cutting-edge technology to render some of the historic art world's most beloved and enchanting images.

Luna Guitars artistic designer Yvonne de Villiers chose some of her own favorite works by such premiere Pre-Raphaelite artists as John Waterhouse, Edward Robert Hughes and John Atkinson Grimshaw. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood dates to late 1840's England, where artists and poets rebelled against the conventions of the Victorian era, taking their inspiration from the painters of medieval and Ranaissance times. The artistic creations of that time capture unique blends of realism and romanticism, the majesty of nature and the richness of detail.

"I think these images resonate universally," Yvonne comments. "They have spoken to my heart and shared places  in my home over the years." For the Fantasie acoustic/electric series, she chose Waterhouse's  images of languid mermaids and the haunting Lady of Shalott, presented in small and grand auditorium instruments, respectively. Hughes' vision of a woman captivated by the tiny denizens of another world glows from the darkness of a grand auditorium guitar in Mid Summer Night's Eve. And Spirit of the Night's folk-style design creates an ethereal atmosphere where Grimshaw's diaphanous faeries hover in a delicate mist.  The striking artwork graces both front and back of the Fantasie cutaway guitars, so it comes as no surprise when players tell us they feel as if they've stepped into the enchanted worlds they hold in their hands.

The Fantasie models combine select sitka spruce tops with resonant mahogany sides and backs for full-bodied sound that can be amplified at the touch of a button with Luna's built-in Orion brand 3-band preamp. Rosewood fingerboards with Luna's signature crescent moon fretmarkers inlaid in glowing mother-of-pearl crown these luminous works of musical art. Exquisite and enchanting, Luna's Fantasie  guitars strike a perfect chord with players who move to the distant sounds of far-away lands and fanciful times. Says Yvonne, "Their distinctive designs bring me back to a place where I can believe."     

Visit www.lunaguitars.com to learn more about the Fantasie series of acoustic/electric guitars. And check the Web site for your local authorized Luna Guitars dealer to learn where you can  put your hands on a Fantasie of your own. 

Pictured top right above is the Mid Summer Night's Eve model; 
bottom right is the Spirit of the Night guitar.

Yvonne with the inspiring Henna guitar.

On My Drawing Board                       

A message from Yvonne de Villiers, Luna Guitars Executive Director & Artistic Designer   
   
Priming the Pump

As musicians and songwriters and artists know, creativity comes from a deep source. So using the metaphor of a well seems appropriate. Sometimes, our sacred well waters can be diverted by life's various demands -- whether personal or work related -- and so we occasionally may find that our "water table" has been lowered. I find that when my creative well runs dry I must make a conscious effort to prime the pump. One of the first things I do is arrange a mini retreat for myself ... even if it means a weekend of solitude at home, not connected by cell phone, computer etc.

To tap into that creative source again, I must go deep within, and silence is a good way to start. When I am silenced and centered (there are many ways to get to that place), I start a stream-of-consciousness dialogue with myself, preferably through journaling. I ask myself questions and then allow the answers to rise unfettered and unfiltered. If there are physical manifestations (bodily aches, pains or ailments)  that accompany my creative immobilization, I speak to the affected part of my body and ask it what's going on. The results have been quite astonishing and usually go straight to the heart of my discomfort! 

Sometimes our broken or uncomfortable places are a rich source of creativity, but the awareness must be there first. For me, feeling "numb,"  whether out of self-defense or simply a reaction to being overwhelmed, is the ultimate block to creativity. Getting in touch with the underground waters of the unconscious, can free an artesian well of inspiration to spring forth. All of the flotsam and jetsam that wash onto my journal pages function as potential muses.

There are external sources of inspiration and replenishment, too.  Many creative souls take spiritual nourishment from the glorious world around us: beaches, mountains, lakes, deserts, trees, clouds ... the sights and sounds of our favorite places can help us reconnect with that core of creativity within. Whatever it is that works for you, find it! And carry your own personal road map to it. Then, on those occasions when you go to the well and find that the water level is low, you'll know where you need to go to make yourself some rain!

In the meantime, shine on! 

Yvonne 

"The world is but a canvas to the imagination."

...Henry David Thoreau

"You need chaos 
in your soul 
to give birth 
to a dancing star."

...Nietzsche

Staff Notes        
From your Luna Guitars team 

Creativity 101: Luna Artists Share Insights on Awakening the Muse

Continuing our celebration of creativity -- especially among the great range of Luna guitar players -- we are pleased to bring you some ideas from Luna artists on the strategies they use to reconnect with their muses:

Kimberly Hall
What works for me almost every time is going to see a live concert. When I see someone doing what I love to do, it makes me want to go home and start writing. If I can't get to a live show, I watch a DVD of someone's behind-the-scenes concert tour or studio sessions. That  always gets the juices flowing.

Alaria Taylor

Grab a journal and pen, close my eyes, say a prayer and start writing! I also listen to other artists from completely different genres and my favorite old recordings. Sometimes I just start singing while I'm driving...making up words and melodies to see how long I can go and what comes out. I also like to fiddle around on my guitar -- I move my fingers around and make up a weird chord, or even go to a chord book close my eyes and point.

Rebekah Pulley
Sometimes spending some time alone works well for me. I like going somewhere alone that I usually wouldn't -- a concert or dinner, a movie or play. An art show. Someplace where you can both observe and interact with strangers. I love the strays and waifs of society. They're very inspiring. A little physical motion can help get me going in a creative direction. And stumbling upon or revisiting some great musical talent is always inspiring.

Lexa Vonn 

My advice to anyone suffering from "writer's block" is not to stress over it, but instead to allow yourself some time to work with different mediums, people, and forms of expression to reacquaint yourself with the creative spirit. Not only does it alleviate the pressure of writing a hit song in that very moment, but it also provides you with new experiences that you can later draw upon for your music.

Let's keep the creative energy flowing! The Luna team would love to hear about inspiration from you. What gets your creative juices flowing when the world conspires to distract your muse? What inspires you to write songs, to pick up your Luna guitar and play? Email the tips for jump-starting creativity that you'd like to share to yvonne@lunaguitars.com. 

 A New Contest!
Win an Andromeda Phoenix Electric Guitar
from Luna Guitars and Venus Magazine

Luna Guitars is partnering with Venus Magazine - the publication about women in music, art, film, fashion and culture - to offer you the chance to win a sensational Luna Andromeda Phoenix electric guitar.

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© 2007 Luna Guitars