Collecting

Well, it's almost time to my third year of University, and to start my new project, so I've been gathering some bits and bobs to get inspired. I've spent the entire summer in The Netherlands, and it's been fantastic. I've been visiting some great places, (of course its animal related!) such as zoo's, aquariums, exotic pet shops,  natural history museums, woodlands, and the seaside to get the ball rolling. 

I'm working around the idea of Animal Elements like skin, teeth or bones. Some naturally found, some bought from shops. Keeping pets, I have creatures that shed, moult and lose hair. I intend on collecting these to work from, and finding some, as these can also be found in the wild if you know where to search. This idea came about when I started collecting found feathers from the zoo's and outside, and then expanded to asking for shed snake skin from the pet shop, which already makes great items ready to scan and Photoshop! 

I've also been on the look out for great animal imagery to work from. In Maastricht, I found a great little book shop that sells books within every topic under the sun! I found a great, old animal Encyclopedia, and a collectors book from a dutch zoo showing vintage photographs from the animals back then. They're absolutely stunning, and there is a great photograph of a dog with new born lion cubs feeding from her. Priceless. 

Another great find was some real duck wings, which I came across in an art shop. Not sure what the real intention of them is, but I think they're brilliant, and for someone who loves taxidermy, but can't bring herself to actually doing it, this is a good way to start. 

 Here's some pictures. Enjoy!

Oh, and I also bought a shark tooth necklace from the museum!