Crash Landing

Crash Landing

16" x 20"

oil on panel

     Wind up toys date back in history. Karl Grod, a German inventor, created some of the first in the 15th century. 

They were called liquidation toys at the time. Also in 1509 Leonardo da Vinci created a lion liquidation toy.

     Wind up toys were initially only for royalty. By the 1800's 

wind up toys were created in greater numbers and at lower costs. European toy manufacturers created the first mass produced tin toys in the late 1880's. They were popular over the next 60 to 70 years and manufactured in a number of countries.  

(History of Wind Up Toys)

 In the 1950's a small alkaline battery was introduced and was used to run toys inner mechanisms. This took the popularity of wind up toys away for a good 20 years.

     This brings me to the little guy in the picture above. 

In 1977 , Tomy of Japan created their first plastic wind up toy, 

the Rascal Robot. 

     This company had the ability to build precision plastic gears 

and parts very small which was great for wind up toys. 

They were able to reduce the size of the gear box and spring drive. Over the next six years Tomy created wind ups that could walk, back flip, and swim while shooting water. I still remember getting a back flipping dog wind up when I was younger that truly amazed me. (Plastic Wind Up History)

     I got to paint my little robot once before for MicroVisions, 
a scholarship show for the Society of Illustrators. 

This was also not the first time for me to paint the flying saucer.

I had so much fun with Rascal Robot and the saucer,
 I wanted to do more. 

Crash Landing soon came about.

 detail from Crash Landing

Crash Landing

will be showing at

Elliott Fouts Gallery

October 5th to October 31st, 2013

for

The Still Life

Elliott Fouts Gallery

For fun I have added a little video of two 

Rascal Robots in action along with the flying saucer. 

But look out for towards the end, 

and strange creature invades their table top exploration.