The Automaton

Words & artwork by Julie Loeschke

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The Automaton

1867 – There were only a few weeks left until Sophie’s thirteenth birthday and she had again requested a doll.  But not a baby doll – no!  She would like a “grown-up” doll, maybe a princess!  A doll, perhaps,  that resembled the beautiful English princess Helena Augusta whose portrait she had seen in Papa’s “Le Petite Journal”.  Fortunately, Papa had a friend, M.Lambert, whose workshop had recently begun to produce automatons.  They were dolls animated by an internal clockwork-like mechanism.  The doll created for Sophie would lift a scroll and appear to read it with moving eyes and lips.

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The big day came at last.  The automaton, who Sophie named Helena, was received with cries of delight and showers of kisses for Papa and Maman!

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Present Day – Sophie and her family have long departed this worldly stage, but the automaton remains. Helena now resides comfortably in her new home, the Musee Des Arts et Metriers in Paris.  If you visit her at the right time you will see her lift and read her scroll, perhaps a bit more slowly now.  And if you are very special,  she will reveal the portrait buried deep within her of the young woman who loved her so.

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Materials:

12×16 canvas board or stretched canvas (or your preference)
Decorative Papers
Black Gesso
Metallic Paint
Fancy Cogs
Reliquary Trifoglio
Tim Holtz Gears
Brads, Hardware bits & bobs
Aluminum tape (local hardware store, Walmart, etc)
Embossing folder or other embossing tool
Box cutter and steel ruler
Assorted images (see below)

 

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;;;

 

 

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Instructions:

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1.  Paint the edges of both the canvas board and the stretched canvas.  Extend paint beyond the edges for about 1″, both front and back.  I used black gesso.

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2.  Construct box part of the reliquary.  Set aside the front piece for another project.  Paint the inside and front edges,again with black gesso.

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3.  Emboss aluminum tape (I used a circle pattern) and paint with black gesso.  Wipe most of it off, leaving some in the crevasses to antique.  Let dry and then attach to the inside back of the box.  You will be splicing two pieces together to fit, but this can be disguised with the elements.

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4.  Assemble “mechanism” parts.  Paint wooden pieces with desired color of metallic paint.  Arrange the parts in layers to give the illusion of depth.  The framed picture is one of the cogs with an image glued to the back and filled with Glossy Accents.  The more variety in your mechanical element the better.  Glue in place and set aside to dry.  I used heavy wet glue.

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5.   The images of the figure and the sky were enlarged by 150%.  The box needs to fit in the center of the chest with about 2-2 1/2 ” all around.  Cut out your figure to help decide where to cut out for the box.  Measure the distance from the bottom and sides of the panel to the outsides of the box.  Place the box on the panel and trace around.  Make sure it’s straight.  Using a box cutter with a new blade and a steel ruler,  carefully cut out for the box.

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6.  Paint the inside edge and out about 1″ from opening with black gesso.  Dry.  Glue the box into place with heavy wet glue.  The fit should be snug.  Make sure the front edge of the box is flush with the panel surface.  When dry, turn the panel over and run a bead of glue all around the box to double secure.

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7.  If desired, decorate the canvas side of the stretched canvas.  Place the stretched canvas face down and and glue the panel to the back of the of the canvas all around the edge.  The box is now contained inside and doesn’t show. 🙂

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8.  This is the order in which I applied my images:

1.  Sky-cut out around the outside of box as needed.
2.  Mark on the focal image where the box will show through.  DON’T CUT YET.Turn image over and glue lining paper face up to the area where the box will show.  After dry, cut an X across the area where the box will be revealed.  Cut to the INSIDE corners of the box .
3.  Glue down any images that will be behind the figure.
4.  Glue the figure to the panel, making sure that it lines up over the box.  Weight and dry.
5. Very gently, bend the flaps back to reveal the mechanism.  I started by curling them over a marker and then worked them into position.  Attach with hot glue about 1″ from the flap tips.
6.  If using a border, you may have to attach it at the same time as the focal figure.  Just lay everything out and decide the order.
7.  Attach the remaining elements.

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Hang and enjoy!

Jules xo

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