The rosette—composed of butterfly and floral mother-of-pearl motifs inlaid into black jacaranda—operates as both ornament and symbol, evoking metamorphosis, continuity, and renewal.

Grammy nominee guitarist and composer Douglas Lora transits versatility through the universes of Classical and Popular Music and has established himself as one of the most prominent artists of his generation. in this Video Tries the Classical Novaes Deluxe 2023 at the Peabody Institute summer program in 2024.Member of the awarded Brasil Guitar Duo (winner of the prestigious Concert Artist Guild Competition) for over twenty years, Douglas has performed extensively at the most important theaters and concert halls in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. He has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras while the latest Brasil Guitar Duo album with the Delaware Symphony (featuring two premiere recordings of concerti by Paulo Bellinati and Leo Brouwer and conducted by David Amado) was nominated for Latin Grammy as “Best Classical Music Album”, in 2018.

Photo Detail - Top Soundboard Spruce 

Soundboard and Asymmetric Harmonic Architecture

At the heart of the instrument’s tonal character is its asymmetrical harmonic bar system—a Novaes design staple that distinguishes its sound and projection. Unlike conventional classical guitar bracing, which typically employs symmetrical fan patterns beneath the soundboard, the asymmetric layout intentionally varies bar lengths, thicknesses, and spacing across the lower bout. This engineered irregularity creates differential stiffness and vibrational nodes across the soundboard, allowing energy to propagate in multiple, overlapping modes.

Physically, the asymmetry introduces controlled anisotropy in the spruce top: certain regions vibrate with higher compliance, enhancing low-mid resonance, while stiffer zones increase treble clarity and projection. The result is a simultaneous unfolding of bass, midrange, and treble planes, yielding greater harmonic richness, longer sustain, and more complex overtones than a conventional symmetric design. By calibrating bar placement and tapering with precision, the design maximizes soundboard responsiveness while mitigating wolf tones and uneven frequency peaks.

The top’s asymmetric harmonic architecture effectively transforms the soundboard into a dynamic, multidimensional resonator. It allows the instrument to translate subtle gestures into rich tonal color, creating a living dialogue between player and guitar. In combination with master-grade European spruce and Brazilian rosewood, this architecture enables the instrument to project with both intimacy and power, sustaining clarity and nuance across all registers.

Back Detail photo.

knee detail photo

Bridge Detail - Abalone Ivory and Mother of Pearl. 

Neck detail photo flammed Brazilian Cedar. 

Headstock detail photo 

Circular Listening - The Keystone Mandalas, 1975- Present

Medium:  Archival restoration and curatorial project; fabrics, oil & acrylic paints on particle board; documentation, exhibition, and public programming on jazz History. 

The Keystone Mandalas on display at the original San Francisco location, seen here in the background as Jaki Byard performs in 1978. (Photo by Kathy Slone)

“Always listen to the chords of the universal piano.” — Rahsaan Roland Kirk, shown here in a detail photograph of the Mandala.

This is a picture of the original Keystone Korner jazz club in San Francisco, likely taken in the mid-1970s. It was an internationally-renowned venue often called "the Birdland of the '70s" by pianist Mary Lou Williams. 

This is a picture of the original Keystone Korner jazz club in San Francisco, likely taken in the mid-1970s. It was an internationally-renowned venue often called "the Birdland of the '70s" by pianist Mary Lou Williams. 

Milt Jackson, Eddie Marshall, Bobby Hutcherson, James Leary - Keystone Korner, 1977 (photo by Kathy Sloane)

Recorded in 1975 and released on Blue Note, Montara is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. It takes its name from Montara, the city near the San Francisco Bay where he lived—and where the Keystone Mandalas were stored for more than four decades.

Photo of Lucas Novaes and Teddy Hutcherson, son of Bobby Hutcherson.

2024- Medium: Handcrafted classical guitar; aged Engelmann spruce, Bolivian rosewood (pau ferro), Brazilian cedar, macassar ebony,, Yves Klein Blue pigment, Cocobolo, White mother of pearl, nitrocellulose finish. 

This Classical Concert No. 2 guitar showcases a refined balance of power, clarity, and tonal complexity. It features a resonant aged Engelmann Spruce top paired with Grade A Bolivian Rosewood (Pau Ferro) back and sides, producing a strong, articulate bass response, clear trebles, and exceptional note separation across the register.

The instrument offers excellent playability with a wide dynamic range, allowing for both nuanced expression and commanding projection. Its construction emphasizes acoustic responsiveness and tonal richness, delivering a clean, vibrant sound with depth and sustain.

Finished in nitrocellulose, the guitar resonates freely while highlighting the precision and elegance of its craftsmanship. A Macassar Ebony fretboard provides a smooth, fast feel

Photo detail plant soundboard 

Soundboard and Asymmetric Harmonic Architecture

At the heart of the instrument’s tonal character is its asymmetrical harmonic bar system—a Novaes design staple that distinguishes its sound and projection. Unlike conventional classical guitar bracing, which typically employs symmetrical fan patterns beneath the soundboard, the asymmetric layout intentionally varies bar lengths, thicknesses, and spacing across the lower bout. This engineered irregularity creates differential stiffness and vibrational nodes across the soundboard, allowing energy to propagate in multiple, overlapping modes.

Physically, the asymmetry introduces controlled anisotropy in the spruce top: certain regions vibrate with higher compliance, enhancing low-mid resonance, while stiffer zones increase treble clarity and projection. The result is a simultaneous unfolding of bass, midrange, and treble planes, yielding greater harmonic richness, longer sustain, and more complex overtones than a conventional symmetric design. By calibrating bar placement and tapering with precision, the design maximizes soundboard responsiveness while mitigating wolf tones and uneven frequency peaks.

The top’s asymmetric harmonic architecture effectively transforms the soundboard into a dynamic, multidimensional resonator. It allows the instrument to translate subtle gestures into rich tonal color, creating a living dialogue between player and guitar. In combination with master-grade European spruce and Brazilian rosewood, this architecture enables the instrument to project with both intimacy and power, sustaining clarity and nuance across all registers.

Detail Shot of the Engelman spruce top, Bridge & Rosette

Detail shot of the neck jointery, here shows the use of Yves Klein blue pigment on maple wood die and the "chevron" pattern of jointery design employed in this special model. 

Detail shot of the front, top and fretboard. 

Side detail of Bolivian rosewood (Pau Ferro) 

Back and side detail shot showcasing the rare bolivian rosewood patterns. 

Detail of the rosette marchetary shots howcasing several colors present in the guitar`s overal design, plue, pink, maroon, etc. 

Played here by the renowned classical guitarist Andrés Palacios, this Classical Concert No. 2 is a historic model conceived by the Novaes & Son Luthier Collective—Carlos Novaes and Lucas Novaes—in Baltimore, Maryland, during the summer of 2024.

Inspired by Yves Klein and the legendary IKB Blue pigment, the instrument reflects a bold generational design philosophy combined with meticulous acoustic research and wood development. It delivers a powerful, authoritative bass response alongside a brilliantly clean and richly resonant tonal character. Exceptional playability is paired with a wide and complex dynamic range, offering outstanding note separation and harmonic depth.

The guitar features Grade A Bolivian Rosewood (Pau Ferro) back and sides paired with an aged Engelmann Sprucetop, both selected for their superior tonal qualities. True to Novaes’ reputation, the craftsmanship is impeccable in every detail.

Sample audio performed by Andrés Palacios.

Condition: Mint

Specifications:

• Back &

Soundboard and Asymmetric Harmonic Architecture

At the heart of the instrument’s tonal character is its asymmetrical harmonic bar system—a Novaes design staple that distinguishes its sound and projection. Unlike conventional classical guitar bracing, which typically employs symmetrical fan patterns beneath the soundboard, the asymmetric layout intentionally varies bar lengths, thicknesses, and spacing across the lower bout. This engineered irregularity creates differential stiffness and vibrational nodes across the soundboard, allowing energy to propagate in multiple, overlapping modes.

Physically, the asymmetry introduces controlled anisotropy in the spruce top: certain regions vibrate with higher compliance, enhancing low-mid resonance, while stiffer zones increase treble clarity and projection. The result is a simultaneous unfolding of bass, midrange, and treble planes, yielding greater harmonic richness, longer sustain, and more complex overtones than a conventional symmetric design. By calibrating bar placement and tapering with precision, the design maximizes soundboard responsiveness while mitigating wolf tones and uneven frequency peaks.

The top’s asymmetric harmonic architecture effectively transforms the soundboard into a dynamic, multidimensional resonator. It allows the instrument to translate subtle gestures into rich tonal color, creating a living dialogue between player and guitar. In combination with master-grade European spruce and Brazilian rosewood, this architecture enables the instrument to project with both intimacy and power, sustaining clarity and nuance across all registers.

Spruce top detail Photo

Hedstock detail photo 

Fretboard 

Back detail

Knee and back detail 

Rossette 

Knee Detail 

Ethel Ennis 2019, Mixed media on concrete 

Ethel Ennis, born and raised in Baltimore, is the essence of the "renaissance woman." Although an international jazz career takes up most of her time, Ennis devotes the remainder of it to community roles as a woman minority entrepreneur, a band leader, a cultural ambassador, and a civic activist.

In 1984, Ennis opened "Ethel's Place" - her own music club located in Baltimore's cultural district across from the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. A great success, the club actually broadcast live on public television across the country on New Year's Eve in both 1985 and 1987. Ethel performed with Joe Williams, Ray Brown and Milt Jackson, Phil Woods, Gerry Mulligan, Toots Thielemans, Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Turner, and Stephane Grappelli in these memorable broadcasts. In 1988, Ennis and her husband Arnett, made the difficult decision to sell "Ethel's Place" in order to "devote their creative energies to words and music."

Entrance dressing room designs, Vynil on glass - 2019 

From left to right - Cab Calloway, Eubie Blake, Billy Holliday 

Cab Calloway (1907-1994) was a legendary American jazz singer, bandleader, and entertainer known as the "King of Hi-De-Ho" for his energetic scat singing, flamboyant style, and groundbreaking performances at Harlem's Cotton Club during the swing era. He achieved massive success with hits like "Minnie the Moocher," pioneered call-and-response with his audience, and was a key figure in popularizing jazz and Harlem culture through music, films, and Broadway. Calloway's influence extended across generations, from early jazz pioneers to younger audiences through films like The Blues Brothers. 

Eubie Blake (1887-1983) was a legendary American jazz and ragtime pianist and composer, known for his groundbreaking work on Broadway, most notably the all-Black musical Shuffle Along, and for iconic songs like "I'm Just Wild About Harry" and "The Charleston Rag," bridging the eras of ragtime to jazz and experiencing a major career revival in his later life, becoming a living link to early American music. Born in Baltimore to former slaves, he began playing piano as a child, quickly developing prodigious talent, composing his first rag at 16, and forming a famous partnership with Noble Sissle in 1915. 

Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan, 1915-1959) was an iconic American jazz and swing singer, known as "Lady Day," famous for her unique phrasing and emotional depth, revolutionizing pop singing with an instrumental-like approach. Despite a tumultuous childhood marked by poverty, racism, and addiction, she rose from Harlem nightclubs to become a cultural icon, recording influential songs like "Strange Fruit," a powerful anti-lynching protest anthem, and leaving a lasting legacy through her autobiography Lady Sings the Blues and profound influence on music. 

Cab Calloway 2019 Mixed media on concrete. 

Cab Calloway (1907-1994) was a legendary American jazz singer, bandleader, and entertainer known as the "King of Hi-De-Ho" for his energetic scat singing, flamboyant style, and groundbreaking performances at Harlem's Cotton Club during the swing era. He achieved massive success with hits like "Minnie the Moocher," pioneered call-and-response with his audience, and was a key figure in popularizing jazz and Harlem culture through music, films, and Broadway. Calloway's influence extended across generations, from early jazz pioneers to younger audiences through films like The Blues Brothers. 

"Chick" Webb - 2019, Mixed media on concrete.

William Henry "Chick" Webb (1905-1939) was a legendary, diminutive drummer and bandleader, nicknamed the "King of the Savoy," who defined the Swing Era at Harlem's Savoy Ballroom, famous for his powerful drumming, charismatic showmanship, and for launching Ella Fitzgerald's career, all while overcoming childhood tuberculosis that left him hunchbacked. Despite never learning to read music, his exceptional memory and innovative technique on custom drums made him a rival to the era's biggest names, a true jazz virtuoso. 

Inside of Keystone Korner Baltimore

Let bank Jazz Society - 201 Acrylic on concrete 
Left Bank Jazz Society Inc. was founded by Vernon L. Welsh (10 February 1919- 8 August 2002) and Benny Kearse (16 MArch 1930- 29 June 1999) in 1964. Welsh recorded hundreds of jazz performances at the Famous Ballroom during the 1960s and 1970s. Kearse was president of the group, which sponsored 47 concerts per season at its peak. The Left Bank’s first gig was held at the Al- Ho Club, in the 2500 block of Frederick Ave., the year it was founded. The society established a long run at the Famous Ballroom in 1967.

Cyrus Chestnut- 2024, Mixed media on concrete. 

Cyrus Chestnut is a celebrated American jazz pianist known for his soulful, gospel-infused style, blending classical training with hard bop and swinging jazz, rooted in his Baltimore upbringing and church music. He began piano at age three, studied at Peabody and Berklee, and gained fame as a sideman for legends like Betty Carter and Wynton Marsalis before becoming a prolific leader with his trio, recording acclaimed albums like Earth Stories and My Father's Hands, and performing globally with his signature mix of technical skill and deep emotion. 

Gary Bartz - 2024, Mixed media on concrete. 

Gary Bartz is an acclaimed American alto/soprano saxophonist, educator, and NEA Jazz Master (2024) known for his soulful, funky, spiritual jazz, blending hard bop with global influences, and for his influential work with jazz legends like Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Max Roach, and Art Blakey. Born in Baltimore in 1940, he studied at Juilliard, played with numerous greats, formed his own Ntu Troopband in the 70s, and continues to record and teach, most notably at the Oberlin Conservatory. 

Baltimore Pillars - 2024, Mixed media on concrete. 

Gary Bartz is an acclaimed American alto/soprano saxophonist, educator, and NEA Jazz Master (2024)

 known for his soulful, funky, spiritual jazz, blending hard bop with global influences, and for his influential work with jazz legends like Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, max Roach, and Art Blakey. Born in Baltimore in 1940, he studied at Juilliard, played with numerous greats, formed his own Ntu Troopband in the 70s, and continues to record and teach, most notably at the Oberlin Conservatory.

Cyrus Chestnut is a celebrated American jazz pianist known for his soulful, gospel-infused style, blending classical training with hard bop and swinging jazz, rooted in his Baltimore upbringing and church music. He began piano at age three, studied at Peabody and Berklee, and gained fame as a sideman for legends like Betty Carter and Wynton Marsalis before becoming a prolific leader with his trio, recording acclaimed albums like Earth Stories and My Father's Hands, and performing globally with his signature mix of technical skill and deep emotion. 

Keystone Korner Baltimore Marquee 

Top Detail 

Bottom  botoom 1/4" jack input detail

Headstock  detail photo 

Side  Detail 

Back and Side 

Back of Headstock Detail photo

Back Detail 

Bridge detail 

Rossette detail 

Full Body Photo 

7:20 AM
Oil on wood panels

Landscapes 4x4is a series of oil paintings executed on wood panels, each capturing the same subject at different times of day. Through subtle variations in light, color, and atmosphere, the works explore the interplay between natural phenomena and perception, emphasizing the temporal rhythms inherent in a single place. The rigid structure of the 4x4 panels provides a consistent framework, while the painterly handling of oil conveys the shifting qualities of sky, shadow, and form. Collectively, the series investigates continuity and change, offering a meditation on the passage of time and the mutable essence of landscape.

3:45 PM
Oil on wood panels

Landscapes 4x4is a series of oil paintings executed on wood panels, each capturing the same subject at different times of day. Through subtle variations in light, color, and atmosphere, the works explore the interplay between natural phenomena and perception, emphasizing the temporal rhythms inherent in a single place. The rigid structure of the 4x4 panels provides a consistent framework, while the painterly handling of oil conveys the shifting qualities of sky, shadow, and form. Collectively, the series investigates continuity and change, offering a meditation on the passage of time and the mutable essence of landscape.

2:05 PM
Oil on wood panels

Landscapes 4x4is a series of oil paintings executed on wood panels, each capturing the same subject at different times of day. Through subtle variations in light, color, and atmosphere, the works explore the interplay between natural phenomena and perception, emphasizing the temporal rhythms inherent in a single place. The rigid structure of the 4x4 panels provides a consistent framework, while the painterly handling of oil conveys the shifting qualities of sky, shadow, and form. Collectively, the series investigates continuity and change, offering a meditation on the passage of time and the mutable essence of landscape.

8:12 PM
Oil on wood panels

Landscapes 4x4is a series of oil paintings executed on wood panels, each capturing the same subject at different times of day. Through subtle variations in light, color, and atmosphere, the works explore the interplay between natural phenomena and perception, emphasizing the temporal rhythms inherent in a single place. The rigid structure of the 4x4 panels provides a consistent framework, while the painterly handling of oil conveys the shifting qualities of sky, shadow, and form. Collectively, the series investigates continuity and change, offering a meditation on the passage of time and the mutable essence of landscape.

5:03 PM
Oil on wood panels

Landscapes 4x4is a series of oil paintings executed on wood panels, each capturing the same subject at different times of day. Through subtle variations in light, color, and atmosphere, the works explore the interplay between natural phenomena and perception, emphasizing the temporal rhythms inherent in a single place. The rigid structure of the 4x4 panels provides a consistent framework, while the painterly handling of oil conveys the shifting qualities of sky, shadow, and form. Collectively, the series investigates continuity and change, offering a meditation on the passage of time and the mutable essence of landscape.

6:02 AM
Oil on wood panels

Landscapes 4x4is a series of oil paintings executed on wood panels, each capturing the same subject at different times of day. Through subtle variations in light, color, and atmosphere, the works explore the interplay between natural phenomena and perception, emphasizing the temporal rhythms inherent in a single place. The rigid structure of the 4x4 panels provides a consistent framework, while the painterly handling of oil conveys the shifting qualities of sky, shadow, and form. Collectively, the series investigates continuity and change, offering a meditation on the passage of time and the mutable essence of landscape.

7:13AM
Oil on wood panels

Landscapes 4x4is a series of oil paintings executed on wood panels, each capturing the same subject at different times of day. Through subtle variations in light, color, and atmosphere, the works explore the interplay between natural phenomena and perception, emphasizing the temporal rhythms inherent in a single place. The rigid structure of the 4x4 panels provides a consistent framework, while the painterly handling of oil conveys the shifting qualities of sky, shadow, and form. Collectively, the series investigates continuity and change, offering a meditation on the passage of time and the mutable essence of landscape.

9:50 PM
Oil on wood panels

Landscapes 4x4is a series of oil paintings executed on wood panels, each capturing the same subject at different times of day. Through subtle variations in light, color, and atmosphere, the works explore the interplay between natural phenomena and perception, emphasizing the temporal rhythms inherent in a single place. The rigid structure of the 4x4 panels provides a consistent framework, while the painterly handling of oil conveys the shifting qualities of sky, shadow, and form. Collectively, the series investigates continuity and change, offering a meditation on the passage of time and the mutable essence of landscape.