The 2018 convention season has come to a close, and for the 26th consecutive year, the judges have chosen the WASCO Award winners. I think that the most compelling part of each competition is when all of the judges get together collectively pick what they feel is the most artistic entry in the entire show. …
Category: Art
Permanent link to this article: https://www.taxidermy.net/ken/?p=2137
The Flash of Divine Inspiration
In any creative endeavor, there is a specific moment of inception when the idea of a concept is born. This flash of creativity can feel like divine inspiration as it pops into your consciousness. It usually comes when the mind is calm and not while you are stressed out trying to solve a problem. In …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.taxidermy.net/ken/?p=1842
The Arc of Taxidermy History
Taxidermy is on an upswing. If you had to chart the overall perception of our profession to the general public, it would have probably started going downhill in the 1960s after Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psyco” and remained low for many decades. In the past twenty years or so, taxidermy began to enjoy a renessaince of sorts …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.taxidermy.net/ken/?p=1746
The Akeley Monument Dedication
Two years ago, on the 150th anniversary of Carl E. Akeley’s birth in Clarendon, New York, the local historical society hosted a birthday celebration and invited some of Akeley’s biggest supporters to speak. (More info here.) It was at that meeting that John Janelli’s long held dream of erecting a permanent monument on American soil …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.taxidermy.net/ken/?p=1614
Priceless Dioramas Under Threat
Imagine if a state legislature voted to “repurpose” a famous painting in an art museum to make it more relevant for the twenty-first century. Perhaps something like updating “American Gothic” by painting over it to include iPhones? Or by just removing it altogether from the museum, dismantling the canvas, and sending the pieces off to …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.taxidermy.net/ken/?p=1105