Even the Grim Reaper is entitled to a break for lunch

Here is an automaton by Tim Donald titled Lunch Break. The piece depicts two characters sitting on a bench in the park. Even the Grim Reaper is entitled to a break for lunch! As usual, I love Tim Donald's rich carving style. I've never tried a skeleton, but it seems that most of the well-known automaton makers have done one at some point. Time to add it to the list.

You can see more automata by Tim Donald on his web site.

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A short interview with automaton-maker Tom Haney

Head on over to the artistaday.com site to read a short profile of automaton artist Tom Haney. Haney's work has been featured on The Automata Blog dozens of times. He has a style all his own that many of us appreciate.

From the Tom Haney:

Any kind of mechanical movement has always been a fascination of mine and to combine this with figurative carvings became irresistibly compelling. After some time I learned about automata, "a moving mechanical device made in imitation of a human being", an ancient pursuit more thoroughly developed in the 13th – 19th centuries mostly in Europe but also in Asia. The work I create today is a modern offshoot of the time-honored European tradition of automata.

Shown above is a piece by Haney titled Departure. The distinctive carved figure, savvy use of motorized movement, carefully selected found objects, and lovely aged surfaces are all typical of Haney's work.

Here is where you can read the article about Tom Haney.

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