My Critters

 

Day 11: Coyote done!

I'm really pleased with how she turned out

 

When she's dry I can remove the mesh and pins in her ears and lips, dust off any residue clay on the eyes, as well as airbrush some of her features. I can't wait to bring her back home.
Thank you Dan for teaching me so much, and also to Danielle for being my accomplice!

Eye demo

Day 10: Coyote in progress

Time to put Winnie's clothes on! 

(There's a story behind that name)

I kept a damp paper towel on her face so it didn't dry out.

She's undergoing facial reconstructive surgery... the final reveal tomorrow!

Day 9: Mannequins

Prep, prep & more prep...

Made tail, sewed holes, shaved form, fit hide etc.

I chose the alert turning coyote pose

Fitting and pinning

She fits!

Day 8: Coyote liposuction

Today we spent the whole day removing the fat and turning the ears, eyes and lips

Wet doggie!

We combed the fur out and then threw em back in the tanner.

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 Not too many interesting shots for the day so here's a look around the studio:

The building used to be an old tobacco factory and is 64,000 square feet!

Dan's demo station

↑ We have a drawer full of parts like these at work ↓

 An albino deer that was found on the side of the road. So beautiful.

Day 7: Coyote

Today we began with the frozen thawing coyote and ended the day by putting the skin 

into the auto tanner. There is warm water and three chemicals in the machine:
Aluminum sulphate (which sets the hair), salt (which gets the dirt and contaminants out of the hide), and soda ash (which neutralizes the pH). It's really important to tan the skin as soon as possible before bacteria starts eating away at the hair follicles. Once the fur starts falling out, there's no saving it!

I got a girl coyote :)

What big teeth she has

Parting the fur

I'll spare you the gross photos, but

she ended up looking like something out of

John Carpenter's "The Thing"

Day 6: Hen done

This was the most stubborn mount so far. Her skin was like tissue and the feathers didn't want to lay.

I'm happy with how she turned out in the end though! 

For our third bird we had to choose a more dynamic pose, so here she is - preening.

Got my bird taxidermy certificate!

Video

City Girl caught a fish...

My first fish, a Northern Pike!

It was quite a spectacle, with everybody cheering "New York!"

Day 5: Hen...

...or as I like to call her, "girl duck"

 I'm really lucky cause Dan gave me one of two hens.

Everyone else had to do another mallard or pheasant.

I started and nearly finished her today.
I got her skinned, fleshed, de-greased, tumbled, patched, boraxed, wired and sewn up!
Only things left to do for now are the head, affixing her to the base and some finishing touches.
I'll airbrush the duck feet and pheasant waddles when they're dry.

Day 5: Finished Mallard

Done! Wings and feet are drying in place. I named him Adrian. I love him!

Day 4: Mallard mounting

We didn't quite get done with our mallards today. We still need to secure the feet better, position the wings and blow dry the feathers some more. But this is what he looks like now!

Tornado Watch

The weather is insane right now!
The lights are flickering and water has leaked into my friend's room next door

Day 3: Mallard

Foot on the left has been rehydrated, right one hasn't

The skin is so delicate! I have to repair some holes tomorrow...

Day 3: Pheasant done!

Ta-da!

We secured the wings and tail with card and tape to keep the feathers in place

This photo was taken before I injected the feet with preservative and wrapped them up

Setting the eyes