Yesterday was 5/12. It’s a date that corresponds with Austin’s 512 area code, I am told, only by auspicious accident. Dozens of makers and hundreds of attendees gathered at the old Pine Street Station and celebrated the first ever Austin Mini Maker Faire. Thanks to organizers Kami Wilt and the Austin Tinkering School, and to all the sponsors, makers, and volunteers for showing Austin a great time.

For a journalist, evoking the experience of even a “mini” Maker Faire is daunting. Every exhibit seems cooler than the last, and every time you turn around, there’s someone else that really ought to be photographed, filmed, recorded, or interviewed. Instead of a single “impressions” post, I’m going with a short series covering some of my personal favorite projects, more or less in the order that I encountered them at the Faire.

Diving right in, first, with artist Carrin Welch’s Four Rocking Horses of The Apocalypse, of which one (Pestilence) is still incomplete. Shown here are War, Famine, and Death. They were built from timber and laminated CNC-machined plywood sections, then hand-finished and painted. Carrin’s website, linked below, has more information about the project, and her Flickr stream has some cool work-in-progress shots.

the four rocking horses – whatnot grove

Famina photo: Ryan Hayes