About John Cervenka

toysWorking in the theatre profession as a stage designer my fascination with old toys led me to explore the making of toys of my own designs - originally creating a piece only for myself and my wife. When seeing interest from collectors I started to make also few more examples for sale - and since 1980 fully concentrating on toy making - occasionally collaborating with my wife Vera - an artist using paper as the main material for her creations - sculptural items, cartonnages , flats, and collages.

Before the advent of machines, presses, lithograph printing, etc. - manufacturing methods we take today for granted - toys where made entirely by hand as a cottage industry or in small workshops. - According to many world experts in the toy collecting field I am possibly the only one and unique toymaker working in this field using 19th century hands on techniques and methods of the pre-factory machine age to create handmade tinplate toys

The toys I produce in my studio may be inspired from the Golden age of toys of yesteryear - however all are of my own original designs and crafted entirely by hand using only basic hand tools, hand painted with quality enamels, while boats are painted with rust resisting paints.

Credits

Magazines: Antique Toy World magazine - USA
April 1989 - page 48,
April 1991 - page 27
April 1993 - page 26
October 1994 - page 64
July 1996 - page 11
January 1998 - page 67
September 1998 - page 50
February 2000 - page 64D
December 2001 - page 92
Forbes magazine - USA - 1989
Forbes FYI magazine - USA - spring 2000 - page 24
Australian Country Style magazine oct. / nov. 1990 - page 85
Better Homes and Gardens magazine Australia -
December 1996 - page 214
June 1998 - page 156
Television: Better Homes and Gardens programme - Channel 7 Sydney - Australia
November 1996 and June 1998
Exhibitions: Ray Hughes Art Galleries, Sydney and Brisbane, Australia 1986 -1987 - 1988 - 1990
Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney Australia - 1994

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