The Incredible Dancing Santa automaton by Tim Donald

Tim Donald was born and raised in the beautiful countryside of the Welsh Marches, where he still lives. After studying art in college, and spending time working as an undertaker, Tim turned his love of making things into a career as a professional artist.

There appears to be a strong tradition among automaton-makers to make automata featuring Santa Claus. Tim Donald has contributed to this fine tradition with this lively automaton inspired by a traditional Folk Art design.

This dancing Santa is both hand-carved and painted. When the handle is turned the figure jumps, dances, kicks his legs, and swings his arms -- all in front of a hand-painted sign reading 'The Incredible Dancing Santa'.

Here is where you can get the Dancing Santa automaton and other kinetic work by Tim Donald.

If you have a mind to make something like this of your own, you can find designs for many dancing figures in Rodney Frost's books Making Mad Toys & Mechanical Marvels in Wood and Making Whirligigs, Whimsies, & Folk Toys. Full-size schematics and drawings, and detailed written instructions, guide woodwokers through the process building, carving, and assembling a variety of animated wooden projects.

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