“We make automata.” This answer to the question of our employment usually leaves the inquirer with a puzzled look on their face as they mentally try to decipher the meaning of our statement. “Automata, what’s automata?” Our response of, “we make moving figures” turns a light on; “Oh, like those dancing Santas, I have one of those.” Technically correct, but not really.

An interest in animation has been a driving force in both our lives. As children we each found a fascination with animated window displays, puppets, stop motion films, mechanical toys -- anything that came alive though movement. We met in Chicago twenty-eight years ago and began experimenting with stop motion animation. This lead to our first project from a local production company who commissioned us to make a stop motion puppet for Dutch Boy Paints; this began a career creating special effects for national television commercials. We later moved to Florida, working together in the art department of a Tampa advertising agency.

Our design process starts with an attitude. We first determine the disposition of the character because it influences the facial expression, choice of fabric, style of hair, and if it is an automaton, the kind of movement needed to project this attitude. Chris makes sketches of all our figures, which is a great aid in establishing a color scheme when designing the costume. Although we do not keep rigidly to the design, it helps us to stay focused on the original concept and not be confused with too many “new and improved” revisions that can result in a character's design feeling “forced”. If a new idea is inspiring, but not right for the character, or compromises the design, we will save it for the next character.

We find inspiration in strange and unusual imagery; beautiful but disturbing, intriguing yet provoke feelings of uneasiness. People we encountered on our travels with interesting faces, outrageous hairstyles, were the inspiration for many of our figures. The outrageous shape of a local actor’s hairstyle intrigued us and was the inspiration for one of our figures, "Mack Kandinsky". When we come across an interesting image, we wonder, "Who would wear such a thing?" and design a character that would.

Our lives changed drastically 12 years ago when we decided to quit our day jobs to become full time artists and automaton makers, it has been a rewarding experience, even if our chosen profession draws a blank stare. Can you think of a better way to make a living than making a dancing monkey in a tutu?