Born in Blackpool in 1930, Frank Nelson trained at the Blackpool Art School during the 1940's, then spent some years in motor and aircraft design, becoming self-employed in 1960 and undertaking a range of model - making projects and design work for architects, museums, amusement parks, film and theatre.

In the early 1970's and since 1979, frank has concentrated on automata with a distinctive figurative style using carved and painted wood. Many of his original automata are in his private collections, notably the 'Barnum' automata commissioned by Michael Crawford. He has exhibited his saucy automata at over fifty major galleries and art centres throughout the country and abroad, and the unique ' Frank Nelson Collection of Fine Contemporary Automata' was the subject of a recent auction at Bonhams of London.

Frank has acted as guest lecturer to a number of universities and a consultant to the York Automata Museum, he is now retired and in his spare time enjoys drawing, painting and portrait sculpture.

Frank Nelson, who regularly attends the barearts drawing groups, is better known as a maker of automata.

Click on picture

Click on the picture to reveal original art work by Frank Nelson. Each piece is

for sale, to obtain further details and to enlarge the picture, click on the work