animals fly manually on miniature music boxes by mother-daughter creators

Miniature kinetic sculptures by the thomsons

Penny and Briony Thomson held their breaths when one of their miniature sculptures went viral online earlier this June. In the video, two hands hold a tiny pot of forest. Above the landscape, an owl gazes at the viewers, flying high as the handle on the right side gets steered. The owl flaps its wings through the thin wires that puncture its body, flawlessly hovering over the greenery and manually soaring through the mechanism of the sculpture that resembles a music box.

The act might appear simple, but the artistry and mastery the mother-daughter duo invested in their craft are beyond words. The sudden spotlight takes over their business, and the Thomsons find themselves working more on their handmade, all-unique kinetic sculptures while retaining Penny Thomson’s signature in every artwork. The mother-daughter shares that all materials they use are recycled, reused, and repurpose, and by the looks of their paper-mâché products, viewers can’t doubt.

images by Penny Thomson Works

Owls aren’t the only animals that dictate the miniature music boxes of the Thomsons. Dragons, whales, stingrays, turtles, chickens, and even zebras have also shown up in their own stages, either pecking the ground for food, bucking their legs to set off, or gliding smoothly in the air as if it were water. In the artistic world of the Thomsons, all the living beings become one, from the owner of the kinetic sculptures that turn the handle to the creators behind the whimsical interpretations of the animal world.

The Thomsons make sure that every facet of the design receives attention. The pot is colored in pastel and detailed with elements of nature such as petals and leaves. The thin wires that poke the hovering sculptures sometimes bend or twist to confer softness in the look. Scrutinizing the animals, hyperrealism emerges as the Thomsons take their time in recreating the physical features of the animals they place in their miniature sculptures.

flying owl

Getting to know the Thomsons

While their business name goes as Penny Thomson Works, the miniature creators are composed of Penny and Briony Thomson, and together, they make the intricate, original, and magical creations that have landed them an influx of fans and buyers. Their ethos lies in being sustainable, imaginative, and innovative, hence the use of recycled materials to dot the creatures in their works.

Their deep passion for nature that appears in all of their crafts is a prelude to how much they want to protect the planet. Their oeuvre then serves as a reminder to the owners that having one of their works in someone’s house, shelf, or desk means an acceptance to take care of the surroundings and take conscious action to not contribute to littering and climate change.

whale on wires

The mother-daughter creators have a home-based workshop where they work together with their two puppies and a kitty named Concrete The Cat. These adorable fluffy pets have even appeared in a few of their videos online. While they both work on the crafts, Briony, the youngest of Penny’s three children, handle the tech, finance, and logistics side of their business. These parts of their operation seem fitting for Briony’s niche as she has worked in freelance marketing and management for several years.

Penny, who has been working for over 40 years as an artist and designer, takes over experimenting with new materials and methods, always retaining her frenzy for mechanical magic. It was a long time ago when she started making her own mechanisms and developing techniques to create fluid movements and characteristics of birds, bats, and sea life. ‘This came together with my refined skills and knowledge of anatomy, painting, and using paper mache,’ she writes on her business website.

dolphins on wire

Miniature sculptures get easily sold

Grappling with newfound attention and orders that come with the spike in their success, Penny and Briony Thomson are filled with immense gratitude for the continued excitement the public has shown over their crafts. They are excited to bring forth more magical creatures to their growing following. The tandem writes in their Facebook post that never in their wildest dreams could they imagine where they are today. In fact, their products get ransacked minutes after they post their availability.

bat on miniature sculpture

In the Facebook announcement, the mother-daughter creators write that they release two to four new pieces each week, usually on Friday and Saturday. They advertise them on their social media account before they put them live on their Etsy shop. ‘If you can’t see any works for sale on our Etsy shop, they have all been sold,’ the announcement continues. For those who didn’t make it, it seems like there’s still time in the near future. For now, let their social media videos fill the digital screen with a touch of nature through miniature kinetic sculptures.

a flying penguin