All of the animal remains that I work with are ethically sourced. I get my pieces either from taxidermists, hunters, or ranchers. This piece is one of the few times I’ve worked with animal remains that are not a common indigenous species to Colorado. It came from a taxidermist in California who was commissioned to preserve an ostrich, but typically this is not an animal that I would seek out.

I wanted to preserve the unique structure of the skull, keeping the bill untouched and choosing to grow the crystals along the back of the skull.

These are potassium chromium alum crystals; they form in a pyramid structure and are dark purple in color. However, in a liquid state, this chemical is dark greenish blue and leaves a stain on the bone where the crystal has not grown. In person, the crystals are so dark they can often appear black. But when held to the light, you can see a deep amethys purple shining back.