Women’s Outdoor News: Bringing The Wild Inside by Rita Schimpff
We are discovering Safari Lifestyle in Art & Display over at the Women’s Outdoor News – from paintings to taxidermy. Is your safari style traditional or eclectic?
Birds are beautiful creatures. Their meat and plumage has been enjoyed in a variety of ways over the years. Gamebirds and their feathers offer limitless decor and entertaining opportunities; not only are they appetising on the dinner plate, but look just as pretty surrounding the plate, on the table, on the mantle, bookcase or wreath. I wish to inspire you or your hunting partner to bring ALL the birds and feathers home from the field and into the house. DON’T THROW ANYTHING AWAY!
AND BRING THE WILD INSIDE!
I save all the feathers, wings, bird bands and tail feathers. This year I am trying my hand at saving the whole pheasant for a hanging still life. Eldena Stearns at Santa Anna Hunting Preserve beautifully skinned 5 of my pheasants. I brought them home and prepared them for drying.
MAKE A DISPLAY- BOOKCASE, MANTLE OR TABLE
I like to make theme related vignettes like on my mantle below. I have the perfect base for a bird theme, my Audubon print Mississippi Kites and my clock featuring huntress Diana with her gamebirds. Then I just started adding from there with color, texture and feathers, eggs, skulls and even a nest that recently blew down in a storm.
Add a little of the absurd in your vignette – the leaves, twigs and nest from outside with some sparkling crystal or shiny silver – worn leather books.