About four years ago, Adrian Vejar, a Colima-born engineer who resides in Guadalajara, embarked on a new hobby, crafting wooden mechanical models from Da Vinci’s mammoth collection of technical drawings and sketches.
The feedback was so positive that Vejar decided to take the examples to schools so kids could understand more about this great man and his work.
Vejar, however, wasn’t totally satisfied with the quality of his own craftsmanship and went to see some Pure’pecha artisans in the state of Michoacan, who spend much of their time creating handsome traditional wooden toys.
Working from Vejar’s prototypes, the skilled indigenous artisans completed 40 Da Vinci models that Vejar takes to schools and university campuses in Guadalajara, Lake Chapala and surrounding areas.
After setting up his impressive “Museo Portatil,” Vejar gives a talk for about an hour, introducing students to Da Vinci’s life and work. He explains how Da Vinci was not simply an artist, but a man with such varied interests and curiosity that he could be considered an accomplished inventor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, poet and author.
Vejar also tells students how Da Vinci’s 16th century inventions were far ahead of their time and how the designs recorded in his journals have been preserved in the codices held in libraries across Europe and the United States. He also introduces the students to Da Vinci’s best-known artworks, such as the Mona Lisa, Last Supper and the Vitruvian Man, the iconic drawing based on the correlations of ideal human proportions with geometry.
Once the talk has finished, students are allowed to peruse the beautifully finished exhibits, divided into sections (war instruments, flying machines, geometric models, measuring instruments, tools, etcetera), many of them accompanied by a copy of the Da Vinci drawing on which they are based.
The students are then invited to participate in a hands-on workshop, where they get to assemble models of Da Vinci’s self-supporting bridge and catapult. Vejar often brings along an assistant, who gets into the renaissance spirit by dressing up in full period costume while helping the students complete their tasks. Vejar says he plans to enlarge his collection to 65 pieces, which he hopes to show at the Trompo Magico Children’s Museum in Guadalajara next year.
Vejar says the children never fail to be captivated by his exhibit and always ask, “when are you coming back.” The educational sessions “help children realize that we all have hidden creative talents that can be developed,” he adds.
For further information about Vejar's Museo Portatil (Fabrica de Sueños) call (33) 3629-6863 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..