Each automaton begins with the idea. With many of my pieces it is an emotion, with my small birds it is the essence of the animal. Without this it is merely an object.
The idea can then evolve over weeks or months, mentally creating the mechanism that delivers the precise motion desired.
Gears, cams, levers and linkages transform the beautiful hardwoods into movement - sometimes subtle, often surprising and endlessly fascinating.
Each mechanism is carefully tuned to achieve smooth, expressive motion. The process is slow but rewarding.