Several Exciting Things

I'm pleased to be busier than ever and have a few exciting updates to announce.

I'm now an official working member of the Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists. I'm very honored and excited to be a part of this group of creative geniuses. I recommend clicking on the link and checking out their website and other members of the group including founding members Scott Bibus and Sarina Brewer. What is Rogue Taxidermy, you ask? Check out this informative article from Asylum posted to the MART site: http://www.roguetaxidermy.com/press/

In other news, I met the wonderful people at the Circus Emporium Roadshow and have been helping out with their amazing sideshow collection of oddities. I highly recommend checking out one of their shows. Not only do they have sword swallowing, a blockhead, and a burlesque act, but one of the best collections of oddities I've seen, and all with the authentic feel of a true sideshow.

I've also joined a local paranormal society, but more on that later.

Other than that I've got several other projects in the mix, including these (now available for sale HERE):




This coastal winter weather makes me want to stay inside and hibernate, I'm very much looking forward to some sort of spring weather to wake me up and get me moving faster.

Octo Mom

For February Arts Alive here in Eureka I got out my pearls and white gloves and dusted off the baby buggy to become Octo Mom for the night. It was a blast walking around with the lit up carriage full of preserved baby octopi.


The mix of responses was interesting, some people were fascinated and some disgusted and shocked. One woman almost threw up when she realized there were dead sea creatures in the buggy and not an adorable baby. Here are some passersby investigating the mysterious bottles:

I met up with fellow artist Lauren Elizabeth Miller of the Artful Alias and we had a great time peddling our goods and trying to stay warm.

I plan to make this a regular monthly event when I'm not doing a show so look for me and the buggy each Arts Alive.
I also regularly sell baby octopi in my Etsy shop so check back often.

Show Recap

So at the December 2011 Arts Alive in Old Town Eureka I had the reception for my solo show "Half Embalmed," which was a blast.

The lovely Courtney Jaxon at Little Shop of Hers was kind enough to let me show my dead things in her vintage shop, which I highly recommend to anyone looking for great deals on good quality vintage clothing and accessories. Here's my obligatory "posing with my work" photo:

The pieces that really stole the show were Grandpa Squirrel and The Funeral Parlor. Grandpa Squirrel immediately sold and is now living a happy retirement with the lead singer of the band Drifter Killer.



It was a great experience and I think the show really got the community thinking more about taxidermy as a creative art form.

Rat Doll

I've started making dolls with animal parts. Here is "Loleta":

Parakeet Project Part 2

The owner of the parakeets wanted tail feather hair fascinators to remember her birds by, but she wanted to bury the rest of the remains. I made her custom coffins for the tiny birds and wrapped the remains in lace.


The fascinators next to the open coffins:










We had a funeral for the Parakeets and buried them in a friend's personal pet cemetery, full of fish, birds, and Pugs.
Here is Chloey, the parakeet owner, at the graves, along with some other photos of the graves.

Blue Lake Outing

Here are some photos I took recently on a roadkill-salvage outing in Blue Lake, California. The side of the winding 299 was riddled with deer carcasses. Antlers were missing and some bodies were found in game bags, indicating these were hunted, not hit by cars, and the bodies dumped.

Parakeet Hair Fascninators

I recently worked on two parakeets that were the pets of a friend of mine. They died when smoke from a neighbors barbeque suffocated them. She wanted something to remember them by so I decided to make her some hair fascinators from the tails.



for small projects I generally work on my dining room table, which also functions as my operating table. Notice my awesome room mate unphased by the project, enjoying his burrito in the background.



At this point I think my room mate finally left the room:

After treating the tails and drying them for a few days I completed the hair fascinators.