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FAQ

Where are you located? Do you have a brick and mortar store?

Currently, I only sell online and at events, but local pick up is always an option!
I am in Eugene, Oregon.

Are the animals you use real?

Everything, from the bugs/animals to the moss and flowers I use in my pieces are all real! I try my best to only use real things. Sometimes I incorporate little figurines or paint things different colors, but this will be stated in the listing.

How do you source your bugs?

All of my insects come from breeders I have found online or sellers who source them from insect farms. Insect farming is very beneficial to the environment because some are released back into the wild to support local populations. I do not support deforestation and would never go out of my way to kill an animal for the sake of art.

How are your taxidermy animals and skulls/bones sourced?

 They are either foraged and found as roadkill, come from farms as "failure to thrive", or were humanely culled from farms that raise animals for meat. I do not support fur farms and I do not buy from hunters/trappers.

Do you taxidermy animals yourself? 
At this time, I do not taxidermy anything myself. I want to learn in the future, but I don't have enough space in my house to really attempt it! I can usually recommend some other artists who can help though!

I found a dead hummingbird on the ground, can you do something with it?

Hummingbirds are protected by the migratory bird act and it is illegal to keep any part of them, including feathers! I can not work with them, even if it was found already dead.

Do you consider your products "ethically sourced"?

Most artists who do this, including myself, know that the phrase "ethically sourced" means something different to everyone. You can find sellers who claim they are "ethically sourced" but will have roadkill and foraged bones on their websites. That doesn't mean it's wrong, but it doesn't mean the animal wasn't killed by a human. I prefer the term "sustainably sourced". Nothing I use was harmed for the sake of art and what I buy will not do harm to the ecosystem it came from. 

What about the bats?

This is a widely discussed topic that I want to shed some light on. I WILL NOT be selling bats once I run out. These are the only thing on my site currently that I cannot guarantee the sourcing of. When I first started, I purchased a huge overstock of bats. I was very excited to be selling and didn't do proper research. There are a lot of sellers who claim to be ethically sourced, including some who I've been buying from. I can't actually prove this, so I don't want to be part of the problem. They are on here for now until I have none left, but you probably won't see me posting about them because it's a little embarrassing for me to have them at all.