Botanical Beasts

This collection of creatures is created with plaster gauze from plaster molds, wood, wire and felt. (See below for a time lapse video of my process ). They are then covered in a patchwork of fabric. The images on the textile are created using the cyanotype process — a historic photographic technique from the 1840s — which is also known as a blueprint or sun print. All of the prints in this collection are photograms made with pressed botanical specimens. Each piece of the patchwork is stitched together by hand into a cohesive skin.

For this collection, I also wanted to playfully incorporate glow-in-the-dark elements, so both the thread and paracord glow for up to 5 hours after being ‘charged’ by indirect sunlight or incandescent light. Like many of my previous sculptures I want to bring faux-taxidermy into a new realm. These pieces have a life and ties to history that you won’t find anywhere else. Many variations are available 'made-to-order' on my Etsy store.