Hunter58

Ah, competitions! Personally, I hate them. But I love the venue for a tool to learn and to educate. And, there are always flaws in the process. It can’t be helped. My thought is that an Artist approaches a competition as competing against him/herself only. Learn from the experience and incorporate those things into your Next piece. You will see an improvement in what you turn out to your clients. Keep in mind though, everyone has their own style. Find yours! And, in fact, that is why there are Multiple 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ribbons given in each category. Yes, there are awards for ‘Best of’ in each category but they need to be received more humbly when you are only competing against a few others. AZ is a small taxidermy association. How can you claim to be #1 when you have only competed against a handful of others? Now, go to the Nationals or World shows and you have my attention. Regarding the new ‘commercial division’, this division allows a piece to be judged from 3 feet away. There is No comparison between a piece in this division and one that is judged and critiqued with full hands on, magnifiers and flashlight. As for the association, if nothing else, enjoy the camaraderie of meeting and reconnecting with your peers! Constructive discussion on what you expect from your state association and the competitions is good but I can tell you, if I asked 6 different people what they wanted to get out of it, I would probably get 6 different answers.

I’m confused. Taxidermist = Artist or Business? Why not both? I am business oriented. Why would anyone, whether part time ‘artist’ or full time artist as a business, not want to get paid for their time and product? True, you are paying for their experience, artist ability and the knowledge that your mount will be handled properly. In response to ‘How long is too long’? I recommend anyone to ask the proprietor what their turn around time is when they drop off their animal. Then, follow up with the taxidermist when it is near to that time. As explained in a previous post there is good reason not to wait too long, product warranty, proper handling and storage. If the reason the animal is not being mounted is due to your delay, then, enough said.

I highly recommend visiting Jim Hartsock at Southwest Wildlife Taxidermy. He's a great guy and an exceptional taxidermist.

Wow! Thanks for sharing! I would love to have a sheep and mount like that! Great work!