To me, Nature is God. Without it, we simply would not exist. Conserving the world’s natural spaces and the creatures that live there is paramount to the survival of humans as a species, and I have therefore dedicated my life to studying environmentalism in order to help people co-exist more successfully and sustainably with the natural world.
All natural materials I use in my creations are either sourced from roadkill, Fish and Game, secondhand sources such as fellow artists and estate sales, or are antique. In this way, I'm ensuring that no animals were needlessly killed for the sake of the artwork I produce. I fully believe that no part of any creature should go to waste if a purpose can be found for it, but I do NOT support trophy hunters or overseas fur farms by buying 'byproducts' like bones, skulls, or claws directly from them. The only exception I make for this rule is for parts from animals legally culled for population control programs approved by Fish and Wildlife.
As a photographer and wildlife enthusiast, I've been involved with many fantastic organizations such as Images4Life and Wild Tiger, as well as the Sierra Club and many smaller, local groups.
I've been published, interviewed, and even featured on Rainn Wilson (Dwight from “The Office”)'s personal networking website, SoulPancake.com.
I’ve also been blessed with the opportunity to visit many of the world’s most amazing wild places, like Komodo Island, Bali, Lombok, Malaysia, and the Cayman Islands, and have even documented entirely new species previously unknown to science.
Other interests include: Wilderness survival, primitive skills, backpacking, fishing, kayaking, boffing, airsoft, snowboarding, meandering around town, and caving.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
I finally found a pelt that I can use for Brown Bear’s headdress! I snagged this guy from a nice old lady on Craigslist; she’s had it for a long while, and was selling it cheap. She wanted to see it go to a good use instead of being wasted or merely forgotten in her attic.
She wasn’t sure if it’s a black bear, brown bear, or grizzly, but I think it’s just a blonde phase black bear. The face doesn’t look like a brown or grizzly, and it’s certainly not big enough unless it was still a juvenile when the hunter shot it.
Either way, I’m looking forward to working with this dude. I hope it’s not too old to rehydrate. If it is, I’ll make a flat rug from it so my man and I can snuggle on it.
Photos were provided by the seller, and aren’t the best. I’ll take better ones when he gets here.