The story of "The Not So Early Birds - The Common Sleptin"
Every now and then when looking for inspiration I cruise the list of common idioms to see if anything jumps out at me. "The early bird catches the worm", has a nice ring to it, but is seemed a common theme with several automata already to be found on the internet. My local carving group carves lots of wildfowl and songbirds so I was motivated to try a bird, one that moved of course! So with a few pieces of masonite pinned together I set out to design an automata bird that would bend, flap it's wings, wiggle it's tail and open and shut it's beak. It would have to be a new species since I knew I was unlikely to make a bird anyone would recognize. So I returned to the idiom and decided to make a Sleptin, a bird that was always late getting out of bed, and would likely seldom get the worm.
I started with the big bird and went for a worm in an apple which meant mechanically that he/she would not need to bend over to far. What started out as one bird quickly expanded to a few to fill the tableau and add to the project complexity. The first addition was the little bird on the left of the piece hunting for worms who disappear back into the ground when it looks in their direction. The second thought was for another small bird who would excitedly encourage the big bird whenever the worm in the apple appeared. It was only much later in the building process that the last two little birds where added to balance the scene on the right side. There is a persistent little bird who looks back and forth between two worm holes, neither of which have occupants. The last one came as a suggestion through my blog that I should have a nest that was "slept in" in accordance with the bird species. I went so far as to add the nest and a fourth sleeping little Sleptin in it. I nicknamed the little ones Winkin, Blinkin, Nod, and William respectively, William being the blog contributor. The large bird I call Sluggo.
I started with the big bird and went for a worm in an apple which meant mechanically that he/she would not need to bend over to far. What started out as one bird quickly expanded to a few to fill the tableau and add to the project complexity. The first addition was the little bird on the left of the piece hunting for worms who disappear back into the ground when it looks in their direction. The second thought was for another small bird who would excitedly encourage the big bird whenever the worm in the apple appeared. It was only much later in the building process that the last two little birds where added to balance the scene on the right side. There is a persistent little bird who looks back and forth between two worm holes, neither of which have occupants. The last one came as a suggestion through my blog that I should have a nest that was "slept in" in accordance with the bird species. I went so far as to add the nest and a fourth sleeping little Sleptin in it. I nicknamed the little ones Winkin, Blinkin, Nod, and William respectively, William being the blog contributor. The large bird I call Sluggo.
Winkin'
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Blinkin'
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Nod
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William
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There are four worms actively engaged tormenting the Sleptins at ground level. The tail of the worm in the apple sticks out the rear of the apple when he ducks down to avoid being nipped by Sluggo. Since many visitors have liked the vignettes I have added to pieces in the past I decided to add five worms hidden "below ground" in the mechanism. A rather large worm, Brutus, serves as the crank handle.
Hope you like it this cartoonish piece.
Hope you like it this cartoonish piece.
