Making Automata Again!

It is still too cold to work in my garage but I have so many ideas for automata and need to finish projects that are underway first. I have been braving the cold for short spells and have now almost finished the wooden set for my newest Devil in the Cupboard automaton.

I spent 3 hours today hanging and adjusting little doors! 

Puppet Progress

My 'Puppet Challenge' puppet is taking shape. I am now hoping that the ogre's head will eventually fit in the girls head!

I couldn't resist making various ogre features 3D. 

After working out the best position, parts were tacked into place before machining.

I used some iron on adhesive to position 2D features.

I have a rough plan of how I want the ogre to look but as I went along I positioned each feature in relation to the ones already in place.

So here is the almost finished result. 

The little girl may need big hair!

I have carved the girl's face in wood to give it a mask like quality.

Still Experimenting with Embroidery

I love the Policeman.

The rest of the picture needs leaving for a few days and then maybe working into to improve.

The Birds

It is too cold to work on automata at the moment with the temperature below freezing in the garage so I am embroidering like mad to get my control and skill level where I want it to be and move my work on. This is another small sketch 45cm by 28cm. And I do like some of the nuance in the line.

A More Successful Embroidery

Thankfully the nasty ravioli wasn't the only thing I made today!

Nasty Ravioli Cushion

I did a quick little embroidered character which was a bit disappointing, so I thought I would add him to my odd cushions. I thought that a triangle flag edging would be in keeping with a circus theme but unintentionally made a nasty ravioli!

Cathartic Embroidey

I have at last finished an applique embroidery that I began in October knowing I would be returning to the UK very shortly to nurse my lovely father through his last weeks. Now back in the US I have set too to finish all the work I started before I begin any new projects. This is quite a large embroidery and very much about knowing you are going to meet a difficult time.

Puppet Challenge

I have been included as a participant in Clive Hicks-Jenkins' Artlog Puppet Challenge

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The theme for the challenge is Folktales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends. 

I am really excited to see what the other artists make and the Artlog is fabulous reading.

 I'm planing to make a flying ogre from a Chinese fairy tale called the Flying Ogre. I'm attempting to make a glove puppet that transforms from a little girl into the ogre, in the tale he disguises himself as a little girl.

Sorry this design work is all a bit rough, I don't have time to spend making the prep work wonderful. Anyway this is where my ideas are going but the final puppet will be less basic.

I had the idea to make a little girl glove puppet whose head will open and the ogre will be inside. 

I made a rough head toille to work out if the idea was plausible, how big to make the girls head so the ogre will fit inside and also plan where to place the ogre's features. I'm basing the ogre design on Chinese tiger baby hats.

Having reread the tale the girl should be barefoot with unbound hair so that design will change. 

Once a balloon is inflated inside the ogre's head he has a great flying action with those ears.

Mrs Punch/Judy Sketches

Smoking Cats

A few initial sketches of wayward pets