My name is Gary Spetzler and I make little wooden automata and other kinetic sculptures in my tiny shop in Eugene Oregon. I started this artistic journey in June of 2023, mostly by accident. A bunch of different events all happened simultaneously to bring me to where I am now.
I still feel a bit weird calling myself an Artist, but I am dedicated to learning more and more about this craft. There’s no doubt in my mind that I will continue to create and build on my skills for the rest of my life now that I have spent over a year learning. I’m just scratching the surface and can’t wait to get into larger and more complex automata.
It all started with a mouse… Well, kind of… There’s a lot more to the story of how this all came about. The longer version involves a journey of self-discovery brought about by hopelessness, desperation & burn out, but you are probably here just to find out who I am and how I ended up making automata, so I’ll start with the short version of how it started.
I quit a full time job in May of 2023 to try to make a business of my own. Originally I wanted to build overlanding trailers (another passion), but due to supply chain issues post pandemic (and a huge increase in the cost of shop space), I just couldn’t get the numbers to add up. I’d set up a basic woodworking shop and tried my hand at several fairly common woodworking products, but just didn’t feel like I could make it work long term. I am just not the type of person that can make the same thing day in and day out.
I was struggling to find something that satisfied my odd combination of engineering, woodworking and whimsy when I came across a YouTube video put out by a UK organization called Cabaret Mechanical Theatre. It was a 20 minute video that showed about 30 different whimsical wooden automata. I fell in love with the art form, but it wasn’t until I came across a YouTube video titled “dancing mice with cheese wood automata tutorial” by an Italian Artist named Amedeo Capelli, that I felt like I could do it though. His design was so simple and unrefined (and yet so endearing) that it made it feel approachable.
I made my very first automata the very next day. I set about trying to make my own version of the mouse in the tutorial. I ended up with a little cartoon style mouse dancing with a wedge of cheese over its head. I had so much fun making it that I decided then and there to make this my full time job.
Becky (my spouse and best friend for the last 30+ years) offered to keep working to give my new found passion time to grow. She made me hang on to that first little twirling mouse and it sits on my desk to remind me where this all began.
My long term dream is to open a little Geppetto’s style workshop somewhere in Eugene that can become a sort of hub for makers that make automata, marionettes, puppets, whirligigs, trick boxes, wooden toys and other whimsical wonders. I want it to be a place where you can walk in and spend an hour in childlike wonder exploring & playing and find something you can take home that will capture that feeling and become a cherished heirloom.
I’m working on a collaboration with the city to teach classes in the coming year and I am looking for a larger shop so I can support mentorships and small 3-6 person workshops. I would love to be a part of a growing community of self sufficient, self-employed artisan makers. My hope is to help add to the growing community of automata makers and re-spark public interest in this centuries old and somewhat forgotten craft.
If you want to be a part of any of this adventure, please let me know. I could use support, leadership, friends, advice, resources or anything you think might help.
