I’ve been working non stop for the past few months, so I’m currently away on a much needed little break!
Any emails and enquiries made between these dates will also be replied to as soon as I am able to upon my return.
Taxidermy Co. is solely managed by myself,
sorry for any inconvenience!
-Krysten
This week, I had a rummage through the freezer and found this little beauty!
A female captive bred cockatiel that died of natural causes.
British Wildlife will always be my number one passion, but I do enjoy working with something a bit more exotic once in a while.
It always amazes me in the washing and drying process how be-draggled they look. I always think
“there’s no way that this is going to resemble a bird again”
but somehow, it always does! Gives you an idea of the resilience of these creatures.
I have placed her on a simple handmade turned wood perch.
She will be available to purchase as soon as she has dried and set, please get in touch to make reservations.
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This month, I have a little feature in British Vogue magazine this month (October edition), which is SUPER exciting!
I was contacted by British Vogue asking if I wanted a feature in their ‘Vogue’s Show Home’ section as they thought I’d bring something a little different to the feature.
I agreed and I am so happy with how it’s turned out. I will be featuring as part of a 3 month campaign so the advert will run right up until the December issue.
I’m allowed to change the image each time too, but I thought I’d start with my ‘show stopper’ piece, my magnificent black-shouldered peacock who stands at 6ft tall!
The write up reads:
Krysten Newby of TAXIDERMY CO is a passionate, contemporary taxidermy artist based in rural Suffolk. She practices her art with meticulous care, using ethically sourced specimens and excels in restoring them to their former beauty. Her work is available to purchase at www.taxidermyco.uk to email info@taxidermyco.uk – bespoke orders taken.
Only onwards and upwards from here!
I have recently completed my first ever Mandarin Duck commission (first duck of any kind actually!).
My client stumbled across him deceased and wanted to restore his beauty forever and wanted him posed on an ancient oak branch he found.
A bespoke glass case was also made for this taxidermy project, courtesy of Immortal cases & displays who did an excellent job of catering to the requirements.
Because of the addition of the artificial water habitat base, I needed a wooden ‘tray’ style of base to contain it, which is what was made.
I added some ripples to the resin water which I think helps bring this piece to life.
This project produced a lot of ‘firsts’ for me, but I am super happy with how this project turned out!
Please check out the gallery of images below
Here’s what I have been working on this week!
A juvenile Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) that unfortunately met his demise flying in to a window.
My customer wanted the wings displayed out, so I posed this little bird in a take off position, which shows off the ‘gold’ fabulously.
I find small birds particularly challenging due to their delicate, fiddly nature, they can spoil very quickly which can lead to feather loss.
But this time, I soaked the bird in denatured alcohol prior to skinning, which helps preserve the skin as well as toughening it a little, making them less liable to feather loss. Works a treat!
See below work in progress pictures (don’t look if you’re squeamish!).
I love how most stages look like a complete feathery mess and I always think “There’s no way this is going to turn out looking anything like a bird” but somehow, by some sort of miracle, they do.
I’ll pop him on a branch once he is dry to complete this project.
I have never worked with such an amazing beast! Corvids are by far my favourite family of the bird world, it’s an honour for me to be working with the king of all corvids, the Common Raven (Corvus corax)
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I recently had the pleasure of working with a very special specimen – a stunning Mandarin Duck. I’ve been wanting to work with one for a while now!
This beautiful ornamental species was introduced from China in the mid-18th Century but didn’t start breeding and flourishing in the UK until the 1930’s.
The crazy (but beautiful!) feather arrangements on this bird were definitely challenge and slightly intimidating at first, but I think that now I’ve completed a 7ft peacock I have the confidence to do just about anything!
I spent about 9 hours + feathering and preening this duck alone, but I am very happy with how he turned out.
A hand carved mannequin was made out of balsa wood for this duck after taking various measurements from the carcass.
The left over meat from the carcass was also donated to some local hungry tawny owl chicks that were rescued, so nothing goes to waste!
To finish this project off, he’s going to be placed in a custom made glass case with a habitat and resin water base.
I will post pictures once he’s fully complete, but in the mean time take a look at the ‘in progress’ pictures below;
I’ve just finished up another design for some upcoming T-shirts; one more design to go then I am going to get some printed up for you all!
10% of proceeds from each T-shirt will be donated to various wildlife and animal charities, including the Badger Trust, Suffolk Wildlife Trust and RSPB.
I think to some people, taxidermists are painted in a bad light with concerns over animal welfare, the art being of ‘bad taste’ etc.
I pride myself in being an ethical taxidermist, which means none of the specimens I work with are killed intentionally for the purpose of taxidermy and are sustainably sourced from frozen zoo food suppliers, the result of accidental road traffic collisions, humane pest control or natural deaths.
Being a keen naturalist and wildlife enthusiast, I want to go one step further by giving something back to wildlife and the wonderful world we live in by donating a percentage of what I earn from my taxidermy and other work to these great charities.
If you can’t wait for the T-shirts, I found a bunch of unisex tank tops from my old clothing brand that I have just added to the site, featuring my ‘Great Antlered Owl’ design for just £7.99!
Some have gone already, but if you’re quick you may be able to pick one up in your size!
Here’s one of the latest projects I have completed, a gorgeous little female stoat.
It unfortunately got attacked by a dog and my customer wanted her mounted up as a result of this.
I gave her a relaxed pose on a bit of driftwood I had and completed with some moss.
I am really in to casting heads at the minute, so as you can see from the progress pictures!
I cast the head in resin which means it’s an accurate representation of the original skull, giving it a perfect fit.
The body form was handmade out of wood wool.
The tiny little Eurasian Water Shrew (Neomys fodiens) commissioned by Iain Webb at The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire went off to his new home yesterday!
He is now aptly named ‘Shrewbert’ – love it! Iain thought it would be a good idea to have the specimen mounted up for educational purposes after he found it deceased.
Notable features that distinguish it from the other species of shrew include the line of hairs under the tail forming a keel, the fringe of hairs around its feet to help with swimming, and the whiskers on its snout, the vibrissae, to help it search for food.
I’m back from my short break away now and feeling refreshed, ready and full of inspiration after being amongst so much wildlife!
I’ve just added some new products to the store, including these 5″ x 7″ Glossy Wildlife Photography prints.
I took these lovely pictures on a photography course at Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, it was a wonderful day out and I enjoyed seeing the birds of prey up close, gave me an excellent insight and reference images for future projects.
If they go down well, I may print some more of my wildlife photos in the future.
You can check out some of my photography adventures by clicking the button below, mostly taken in and around rural Suffolk & Norfolk in East Anglia.
£1 from each of the prints sold will be donated to the Suffolk Wildlife Trust.