I live and work in Junortoun, outside Bendigo in Regional Victoria.

In my work I'm an artist, engineer and an artisan. I've immersed myself in making harpsichords for the last twenty years. With persistence and the help of some of the world's foremost makers I've learned how to accurately make the parts of this instrument and have them work reliably and harmoniously together. I find the work interesting, rewarding, both challenging and meditative.

So many of the parts are unique to the instrument so I not only have to make them, often I find I have to make the tool to make the part or think creatively about how to solve a problem. This has given me a deep understanding of the instruments and how to get the most out of them.

I believe the harpsichord has three demanding jobs: foremost it has to sound beautiful, it has to not only work reliably but have that ineffable quality of transparency, that sits between player and music, not drawing attention to itself but inviting the player to bring the music out. Finally it has to look amazing, alluring the player into its presence, inviting them to play.

I make and decorate my own instruments, in my own style, striving to be faithful to these three goals. From selecting and seasoning timber, through to the finished instrument

about Doug