Good Design On Competition Winner

I know Jim Hall did a piece very similar to this in the early Taxidermy Review competitions, it won the best of show in 1976. I don't recall seeing this picture in any of the magazines.

 

It's almost funny how taxidermists speak two languages without realizing it. You get on a forum like this and you speak "artistry", "composition", "pushing the envelope" and yet few if any of you ever make money on your competition work. In fact, I'd wager few of you even come close to breaking even if you do sell it as customers work. A guy comes in with a deer and 90% of them never look at the real artistry being done on the mount itself. They're just looking at those "horns". How many bear hunters have you ever had that wanted a closed mouth rug or mount? How many bear hunters have you ever had with the bear's head in a trash can or a donut box? How many largemouth bass have you ever mounted that didn't have it's gills flared and mouth agape in a position that would have killed the fish? How many pin-feathered ducks did you mount simply because the client insisted because it was his/his kid's/friend's first bird? How many standing pheasants have you mounted? In reality, those green ribbons from clients pay the rent and the blue ones serve to boost your ego. I suppose it's a tradeoff.

 

Joe, that curious, playful look on that coyote is what sells the scene for me! Very cool touch that really brings this piece to life IMO Brings your eye right to it!

 

George, I don't compete so I cannot comment there. But, I will say that every year I get a mount or two where my client wants me to do something that nobody else has seen and they give me full creative latitude and a large budget to work within. I have the background to pull off some fairly elaborate habitats if need be as I have tinkered in just about every medium so it's right up my alley. AND, it keeps my sanity - a nice break from the same 'ol, same 'ol! I will say that I do get paid very well when I take on these jobs. Usually - lol! Sometimes I screw the pooch on the estimate and I eat that extra time. But, I learn from those mistakes too and expand my capabilities while doing so.

 

Funny you should say that , I have 2 closed mouth bear rugs I’m getting ready to do .

 

I love those closed mouth bears. I'm glad you have some discerning clients. I got a few over the years but every one of them had had other bears mounted. That first one is nearly always open mouth.

 

1 bear is for a first time bear killer and his first mount , the other is for a guy that’s killed probably 40 bears and every North American game animal to include 4 grand slams of rams

 

I had a lot German customers. They were into Bear rugs and Moose on a panel and tanned flat moose hides. The Bears were all HALF heads, just the top jaw/muzzle with black on black felt. They shipped them all back to Germany or brought them when they went home for a vacation. I don't know if they still sell half head rug shells. I did a Grizzly rug with the head FLAT like a Zebra rug.

 

I was searching for some ole Jim hall posts
When I was stationed at mountain home AFB ID
I spent some time with Jim from 77-80
This otter piece with trout was one of his
And back in that day it was a amazing piece
He did teach me allot on fish and will always admire him for that
He was a hard guy to get to know but when you did he would do anything for you
The progression of this industry has grown leaps and bounds
It still bothers me today to hear the critical comments to day about Archie Phillips, he was a good friend of mine and showed me how to properly skin a fish, he and bubba could do a 10 lb bass in three and a half minutes
Bubba could do it blindfolded in four and a half minutes
These guys are true pioneers in this industry

 

Jim Hall did that piece, now for you photo goofs. You can see the lighting made the wood look yellow.

Yes the piece is busy bit as for the otter looking away. I encourage you to go to SCI and look at the high dollar pieces. You will attacking animals looking away from the target prey plus many more major mistakes.

People preach design and artistic impression. Well there is no standard in art. You can talk theory. But the bottom line is nothing in nature is balanced.

Yet some and most of the big mounts you see win big ribbons. the gait of the animals is not correct. Yep lots of things not just composition.

A fish with natural habitat gets beat by a fish with wrought iron ornamental work. That's artsy fartsy?

What world are you in, the real world or the art world. I have sold a lot of paintings over the years. Taxidermy does not fall into the NORMS of any art.

So what is is goign to adding non-relevant bs to a mount of a scene of nature?

Art is in the eye of the beholder.