A local pastor combined two of hobbies that he enjoys outside of serving at Gretna Brethren Church — music and woodworking — into his unique entry into the 2025 Not So Bad Art by Good People contest.
Pastor Rob Starnes has been busy working on his piece, a guitar fashioned out of a combination of wood, fabric and epoxy resin, using a series of power tools in his garage for the past several months.
It’s currently on display with the works from eight other celebrity artists in the Logan County Art League contest and fundraiser at Citizens Federal Savings & Loan, 100 N. Main St., Bellefontaine, through Jan. 31. People can vote on their favorite piece(s) by placing a $1 in the artist’s box during bank lobby hours.
A native of Worthington who has served in his current role at the rural Bellefontaine church since Easter Sunday 2017, Pastor Starnes said he when he received a call from an Art League member, asking him if he’d consider contributing some type of artwork to the contest, his first thoughts were something along the lines of, “I think you have the wrong number.”
“You see, God has not blessed me with artistic talent. I am in awe of those with such natural talent and honed skills. Truth be known, my lovely wife Heather would have been a much better candidate, but here we are,” he quipped, relating that the “Not So Bad Art” in the title convinced him that he should still give it a shot.
As for the medium for the piece, he was able to build on his woodworking skills to create a guitar featuring a marbled design and with a body is similar in shape to a Fender Jazzmaster.
“I’m both a mediocre guitar player, and a questionable woodworker. I spend more time creating sawdust then I do items of value, but I enjoy the process of learning new skills and have been blessed to have a few projects turn out OK. We won’t even get into the lack of musical talent, accept to say that I enjoy making noise in the comfort of my home and office,” said Pastor Starnes, who also is a graduate of The Ohio State University.
“That said, it seemed appropriate to combine these two hobbies in hopes of benefiting others.”
A few years (and a career change) after his graduation from OSU, Starnes said he moved to Indianapolis for a job, and then met his wife Heather, and they started a family. The call to ministry changed their life about 15 years prior to the family’s arrival in the Bellefontaine area.
“Since then, God has taken us on a wonderful ride serving him,” the pastor said. “Before coming to Logan County, we lived and worked with a small church in St. Paul, Minn. We were there for about five years. Prior to that, we were in Searcy, Ark. God has certainly kept us moving.
“I’ve been blessed to serve at Gretna since Easter Sunday 2017. What I enjoy most is seeing people come to know Jesus, and grow in their faith.”
The art participant said his wife helped him pick out the fabric and color combinations for the guitar, and encouraged him when he was frustrated. He related that the guitar’s body was made from sections of a construction grade 2×10.
“The neck is roasted maple, with a dyed fretboard & medium/jumbo stainless steel frets. The electronics are similar to a Telecaster, and push/pull tone knob toggles the two humbuckers in and out of phase. The scale length is a standard Fender length (25.5).
“At times I was both excited and frustrated with this build, but in the end, I genuinely believe God made sure it came together. I’m pretty sure without Him, it would still be sitting in my garage unfinished. My hope is that it will bless someone in some small way — either directly or indirectly through the Logan County Art League.”
The contest culminates with a celebration event and dinner starting at 5 p.m. Jan. 31 at Honey Birch Farm, 550 E. Township Road 30, West Liberty, where each of the works of art will be auctioned off. All proceeds from the votes and the auction will go to the Logan County Art League. Tickets for food and drinks, including dinner at 6 p.m., can be purchased online for $30. Reservations are due by Friday, Jan. 24.
Pastor Starnes said he enjoyed the process of learning and stretching himself, and advised future contest participants to be patient with themselves when trying something new.
“I’m already considering how I would improve if I were to do it again,” he said. “Be prepared to make mistakes, and have to figure out how to correct them (that’s really where the challenge is). If you are going to use power tools for the first time — or any time, really — take the time to wear safety equipment and learn best practices. It’s fun, but it’s not worth losing a finger over.
“I nervously jumped into this simply because a friend asked if I would be will to do so. It’s been fun to learn new techniques, and watch God bring things together.“