A few specimens from the Marcus Kelli Collection will be on view this month in the window display at Nathan & Co on Piedmont ave.
Swing on by to view the specimens and take a few minutes to stop in the shop, It’s a great place to find unique gifts for the holidays!
~*~ Happy Holidays ~*~
Nathan & Co
4025 Piedmont Avenue
Oakland, CA 94611
I had a little time to myself last night and this morning so I thought I would get back into drawing. This is a drawing from life of a crab molt (exoskeleton) I found on Big Island Hawaii.
“A tiny deer ….has been spotted in Berkeley’s Cesar Chavez Park, KGO is reporting.
Animal experts are concerned because the tiny animal, dog-like in appearance with has striped markings on its face, could be prey for larger animals.
It grows to about 24 inches tall and comes from Asia. It was likely let loose in the park by its owner, according to the KGO report.”
- Oakland Tribune
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_19264357?source=rss
Experts say to throw a blanket over it if you spot it and call Berkeley Animal Services.
I managed to get a few snapshots of an exotic pygmy deer that had been roaming the area. I wish I was quicker on my feet and perhaps I would have caught it!
Book Zoo was kind enough to host The Museum for the month of August. If you happen to have missed it here are some images from the reception. ( photos by the lovely Ginger Fierstein http://gingerfierstein.wordpress.com/ )
There are still 2 Long Tailed Field Mouse specimens on display and many wonderful books inside if you are in the Piedmont ave neighborhood.
I finally finished restoration on the Thulan Pygmy Land Walrus. This marks my first large piece of resurrected taxidermy since I got out of school. It has been a struggle trying to make time for projects outside of the daily grind, but all the more satisfying to have finally finished something successful. I have been going back and forth between working on The Thulan Walrus and the Foxtail Fox. I am still working on rebuilding the skeletal form of the fox before I can repair the hyde- but hopefully I can add the soon to be finished Foxtail specimen to the ever growing Marcus Kelli Collection.
Here’s a close up and a little bit of Thulan Walrus history:
The Thulan Land Walrus is a specialized species located only on the Island of Thule. Now extinct, they were once used by the indigenous peoples of Thule for their fur, ivory, meat, and companionship. The walrus was eventually domesticated by the Thulans and the wild pygmy walrus of Thule were believed to have died out.
As the Walrus was bread for friendly traits, it became more and more doglike; softer features, smaller tusks, and spotted fur- similar to the domesticated foxes in Russia: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/03/taming-wild-animals/ratliff-text/1 ( I highly recommend this article in relation to the domestication of wild animals and genetics)
Before domestication the Thulan Walrus evolved to be more sure footed on land so they could follow their favorite food, The Giant Thulan Land Snail, up onto the mainland and into the forests and caves on Thule.
Although the domesticated Thulan walrus is now extinct, there are specialists who believe there are still herds of wild pygmy walrus roaming deep in the unexplored water caves and forests of Thule
“New specimen collected- I shall name it a Dimi for it’s diminutive stature. It is barely the size of my thumb, with a thick mane of hair on it’s back. There is what appears to be a clutch of eggs nested in the fur. As far as I can tell the Dimi is a mammal. I have seen them in (very) small herds with young, but I have not been able to find a nesting site until now! -right under my nose”
-Marcus Kelli
Field Notes
Tara’s Organic Ice Cream in Oakland was kind enough to host another installment of The Marcus Kelli Collection. If you are in the bay area please go check it out! The exhibition features specimens from the collecion that were observed to have special traits that helped them survive in harsh conditions. Make sure to try some of the delicious, hand-crafted organic ice cream from Tara’s!
The Exhibit will be up until January 15th
Located at Tara’s Organic Ice Cream in Oakland,
4731 Telegraph ave, Oakland CA 94609
Above: Here I am with the fox and his new leg joints!
I spent most of the afternoon wishing my dremmel was a chop saw… but I finally got somewhere even though the going was a bit slow. I’m starting to realize how under stocked on power tools I am! I am hoping that my new job will be able to afford me new tools and studio space in the long run. Until then I am pressing onward with my red craftsman dremmel and my tiny patio!
Left: This is what a recently graduated artist’s studio looks like
After a bit of a dry spell I have finally started getting back into my restoration projects for the Marcus Kelli Collection.
Introducing Vulpes Alopecurus
Above: Very much still in progress…This has been my favorite pose so far. I still need to make the 2nd and 3rd joints in the leg for the elbow and foot of the animal before he starts to look a little more natural and not so stiff.
Left: The new tail I’ve been working on.
Below:“skeleton” underneath the pelt (front view)
I will post more images as the specimen becomes more complete. I am very excited to reintroduce this little fellow back into the MK Specimen Collection. Keep checking back for updates!
