rabbit | Your Organ Grinder

I’ve wanted to learn taxidermy since I was small, late primary school age, probably about 10. When I was in year 8 (the first year of high school in Australia) I said that I wanted to be a taxidermist (when asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?”) Wanting to be a taxidermist (and actually saying that) are probably not the best moves for someone just starting high school, but whatever.

I finally got a chance to try it out in one of Mickey Alice Kwapsis’ workshops when she came to Brisbane.

Very excited to try more taxidermy. In fact I have to order some scalpels this evening.

When the rabbit was first done I had to pose it

It has dried out really well but is a bit top heavy.

I’ve been wanting to start a blog series about my most treasured possessions, so here it is, post one in the series.

My treasures fill my space. Some are books, some things, some significant because of where they came from and what they mean.

I’ve had this book-Biological Drawings- for about 20 years. The copy I have was published in 1957. It is in fairly good condition considering it is a soft cardboard cover and has been kept in my room that tends to be filled with bugs who eat books, in fact it looks rather untouched by bugs. Perhaps it was covered in some sort of bug repellent many years ago.

Biological Drawings is one of my most favourite things. Not only is it an old book but it is about anatomy of both plants and animals and was written by a woman. I loved looking at the dissected rabbit when I was younger. Recently I’ve most enjoyed the insects and the plants.