thank you so much for asking trish, this is one of my favorites.  there's a lot happening here, with doors that open to messages inside,  a mechanical toy on the side, words on the back, children playing with simple toys in front and a fortune teller

 thank you so much for asking trish, this is one of my favorites.  there's a lot happening here, with doors that open to messages inside,  a mechanical toy on the side, words on the back, children playing with simple toys in front and a fortune teller that is mechanical on the side. it's about my hope that childhood can still contain a sense of wonder and magic and connection to nature in this disposable, consumer-driven, success-oriented, digital media-entrenched society. my son was maybe 15 at the time i made this and i was also freaking out about if i had given him a childhood that would sustain him in his adult years.  you can really take a fortune out from the fortune teller booth on the side, it will say "the flower is always in the almond"...

thank you for taking the time to look at these pieces chris! i'm looking foward to spending some time with enamels this summer, it's an incredible way to add color to my automatons. if you ever hear of an enameling class that works with digital or

thank you for taking the time to look at these pieces chris! i'm looking foward to spending some time with enamels this summer, it's an incredible way to add color to my automatons. if you ever hear of an enameling class that works with digital or photographic decals, i'd love to hear about it! i seem to only be able to find classes that have already taken place when i google...