Bird
Owls in oak barns are simple rotary movement automata designed to be wall mounted or free standing. Tawny and barn owls peep through the circular barn windows and rotate. Various finishes including rough grained and lime waxed add to the charter of the buildings. The owls are carefully carved and painted with tiny glass eyes.
These piece often are available in shop.
The nostalgia of the pecked milk bottle top from a hungry blue tit inspired the piece below. The bottles are turned on my wood lathe from hard wood and painted gesso for a mat white finish. The blue tits are hand carved and painted and when the handle rotates these automata appear to peck at the foil top.
Tug of Worm . Initially I designed the piece with black birds fighting for a worm, made from scorched oak with lemon wood beaks.
For a limited addition Christmas run I redesigned the piece adding Robins to the collection on a frosty lime waxed oak base.
Empty vintage wooden mantle clock cases are perfect for simple Ebony black birds with lemon wood beaks. Framing the bird beautifully. Singer sewing machine drawers house the cams for a group of pecking hens of various coloured hard woods with red suede combs. They make quite a racket when the handle is turned.
