Creative Kinetics: Making Mechanical Marvels in Wood

Frost, Rodney: - Rodney Frost is a graduate of Brighton College of Art, who holds a National Diploma in Design and a teaching certificate from the University of London. He taught for several years before combining his technical knowledge (he attended a building and engineering school for five years) with his aesthetic abilities, designing tableware and bottles for the glass industry. Moving to Northern Ontario in the early seventies, he resumed his teaching career. His art background and interest in Native culture led him to develop Native art studies programs at Wasse Abin College and various reserve schools. The qualities inherent in the Native culture awakened in him an interest in his English heritage, and he founded Stocks' Hill Wagon Works to build and restore horse-drawn vehicles. He has also created other businesses, including The Grim Reaper Mechanical Toy Company, and appeared on Canadian TV promoting low-tech woodworking. Other books he has written include: The Nature of Woodworking: The Quiet Pleasures of Crafting by Hand and Making Mad Toys & Mechanical Marvels in Wood. A craftsman, creator, and communicator, Rodney has shared his knowledge at colleges, schools, and community centers over the past forty years. He is currently working in Ontario, making kinetic art and other woodworking projects and developing new forms of whirligigs based on traditional folk art models.