Flea Circus

A horrid cold and rainy afternoon in Baltimore but I got to see my first flea circus! Something I have always wanted to see and it couldn't have been more perfect! Mr Alberti you are fabulous!

My photo doesn't do this any justice but he did tell me he used one mechanism and the rest was purely imagined!

This was followed by an extremely odd puppet show! Each character was introduced onto the stage with "You don't need to be afraid" but you were!

A Dark and Grainy Film

Mr Punch is in the House

Proverb 30 verses 32 and 33. 

"If you have played the fool or exalted yourself

or if you have planned evil, 

clap your hand over your mouth!

For as churning the milk produces butter,

and as twisting the nose produces blood,

so stirring up anger produces strife."

Ready to clap his hand over his mouth!

Twisting and churning, well shaking milk.

And meet the trouble and strife.

Can't seem to get the film to upload at the moment but will try later as my simple pull string mechanism works and has many possibilities.

 A successful test!

Mr Punch has a House

Well a sort of house and he hasn't moved in yet. I am thinking that I will make this series of automata in the style of the comic strip and need to work out a way of getting a lot of movement without adding bulky mechanisms between each layer of action. This is my test piece.

I have been looking at Windsor Mccay's, Little Nemo in Slumberland, cartoons on a fantastic website, Comic Strip Library. 

I can decide which I like better Krazy Kat or Nemo, both are so inspiring! Anyway Mr Punch will hopefully take up residence tomorrow and I can see if my simple mechanism works.

Proverbs with Mr Punch

I have started a new range of automata based on the biblical Book of Proverbs with Mr Punch as The Fool. Here are the first three characters ready to act out the first proverb that I am attempting to illustrate.

A Punch that will slap his hand over his mouth.

A Punch that will twist his nose and shake milk

and Judy 

My Largest Automaton is Finished

Sorry the photo and the film are a bit poor quality. But it works! 

The whole thing is 24 inches by 24 so my largest one yet. 

Here is the mechanism before it was fixed together and strung. 

Simple cranks.

Nits

Today's Hair and some Old Hair

An old collagraph print of my son Jacob and the funny face he used to pull as he got his hair just right.

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Today's Horrid Hair

The monstrous updo therefor looking gingerly into a mirror and static.

A New Altered Book Group Project Begins

I have been invited to take part in an altered book exchange. A fantastic chance to play but I am not too good at responding to the book. I have decided to use the first book as a sketch book and continue to consider hair problems.