Georgetown, Guyana resident Trevor Smith sits on the sidewalk at the corner of Camp and Regent streets – one of the busiest intersections in the capital to sell his colorful designed kites.
He has perfected one of the most popular designs that could be found anywhere in the country, but according to him, he has put his spin on the creation to make it his own.
Smith has been laying out five sizes of his Six-Point Star collection to capture the attention of thousands of kite flyers that have gone by this spot for the last 35 years.
The dreadlocked vendor says kite making is a science and compares it to geometry and math because according to him, a kite maker has to divide evenly to create angles for a perfect kite, one that will stay up with the wind.
“Kids that make kites develop a higher intelligent quotient (IQ) for mathematics, ” said Smith.
“It’s a process that begins with four pieces of wood,” said Smith who adds “that the more colorful the kite, the better it sells. Blending light and dark colors with a background that suits the star-point design is very important.”
There are other designs such as the box kite, the singing engine and the bird kite, but Smith specializes in the six-point flyer that is completed with two loops at the top to raise the kite and a tail to balance and keep it in the air.
“Kite making is a discipline where life is concerned,” says the artist, who began vending at the age of 16 and credits his father, a carpenter contractor for passing on the talent to him.
Now 51-years old, the master of kite making is still passionate about his craft and starts the design process a year ahead of the Easter season.
Owning a grocery store enables Smith to provide for his family while making kites.
