The
Fun
'Ukulele
Co.
The brother-sister team of passionate ukulele players who design and build the finest custom ukuleles from sustainable and reclaimed materials.
Andrew Oudin's bio
I have been designing and crafting in a variety of media for most of my life. From 2006 to 2012 I enjoyed studying under metalsmiths including Kaki Crowell-Hilde, Harlan Butt, Ana M. Lopez, James Thurman, and J. Shalene Henley.
In 2009 I began building ukuleles out of a powerful curiosity for the instrument. From the very beginning my ukuleles were incubated in a jewelrymaking environment, and I have continued to incorporate precious metals, gemstones, and diamonds into my musical instruments.
From 2013 to 2015 I continued to refine my luthiery while teaching woodworking at a small workshop San José Costa Rica. While living in the renowned coffee region of Tarrazu, also one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, I studied the local flora and fauna with a particular eye to forestry and conservation. The plethora of wood species common to the region defies description. I found that I was able to procure all the wood I could possibly need to build ukuleles by searching among trash heaps and occasionally buying scraps destined to be burned for charcoal.
In addition to using sustainably sourced and reclaimed wood, I am also committed to using 100% recycled precious metal in all of my work. As my art has progressed over the last decade and a half I have been able to use a greater and greater percentage of reclaimed/ recycled/ repurposed materials, and for the last five years I have used exclusively recycled metals, diamonds and estate gemstones. I have always been passionate about combining traditional hand work with innovative design and processes, and my shop practices are intentionally low-impact.
Sizzle Stats:
• I have a bachelor of fine arts degree in Metalsmithing and Jewelry with an accidental minor in Psychology from the University of North Texas.
• My art is in private collections in North and South America, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, and has been exhibited at The Bascom in Highlands, North Carolina, Hotel Quito in Quito, Ecuador, The Mighty Tieton in Tieton, WA, Hotel Olas de la Madrugada in Bocas Town, Panama, and is permanently on display at Richland College in Dallas, TX. I have contributed as a graphics consultant to architectural projects in Phoenix, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Anchorage. Out of all of that mess my ukuleles are definitely the best thing I have accomplished in art.