I'm Late! I'm Late! For A Very Important Date!

No Readers, this is not a Salvador Dali painting! I did a little set dressing for the Wichita Theatre's show "Alice In Wonderland" and this was the setting for the 'Mad Hatter's Garden'  I really enjoy all the back history to Lewis Caroll's wild tale. The phrase "Mad Hatter" comes from Edwardian/ Victorian times when Hat makers would brush Top Hats with Mercury. If, and often times the Mercury would be absorbed through the skin and cause Mercury poisoning causing one to become very ill. "You're as mad as a hatter".
So why clocks? Much like Hatters, Clock making also had its dangers.  Pocket watches of the era would have the numbers on their faces painted with Radium (to make the numbers glow). Often times the smaller and finer the numbers were painted, a higher price could be yielded for the watch.  In order to get a fine point on a paint brush, clock painters would lick the brush with their mouths  into a point. With time the small doses of Radium would do enough damage.

While I did not obtain Radium Poisoning on the job, I did have to create a giant pocket watch for the White Rabbit. As for being 'mad', well haha..."we're all a little mad, aren't we?"

I formulated an Idea for the large clock using cardboard. As you can see in the photo above I started out with a few pieces of Card board. I used a round dinner plate to trace my two circles. I them cut enough card board in 1" widths to circle the circumference of the clock.

Using masking tape, I worked my way around the edges making the cardboard supports and sides. I find for edging things in cardboard (especially circles) If you will crumple up the edging pieces to give them a little bit of give it will take the shape much easier. After one side of supports is done you tape the other circle on from the outside. I then covered the outside edges of the clock (the 1" pieces) in maskign tape a few more times to make it sturdy.

For the clock faces, I used a slightly smaller plate for the round pattern, painted them white, and then used permanent marker to write roman numerals on the dial face.

(Nearly completed dials)

 (Ta-da! And YES the dial is supposed to be crooked!)

I then spray painted the body of the clock gold, let dry then glued on a clock face to either side. For a "Chain" I used an old gold curtain pull  tied at the top of the clock inner support. I love the tassel!

And thats about all the cool stuff I did for Disney's "Alice In Wonderland Jr."

-Mick-