ALTERATIONS

I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I ALTERED A FORM. IT was a lifesize whitetail deer, and was for one of the first mounts I did for my showroom after graduating from taxidermy school. When I fit the skin the manikin was too large. I began to cut the manikin to remove some pieces from the middle of the form and proceeded to put the pieces back together. I distinctly remember that I had the manikin cut into 13 pieces and also distinctly remember praying that I did not just ruin a $200.00+ form. I was pleasantly surprised when I had finally gotten the 13 pieces back together and the skin to fit. This was my first introduction to form alterations and I have not quit altering forms ever since.

It has surprised me in recent years to realize that there are many taxidermists who have been in the industry for some time yet have done very little and essentially know very little about major form alteration. For some of these taxidermists the reason they have never attempted major alterations is due to the same fear that I had, that they will cut the manikin apart and will be....

...Continued in the Spring 2006 Issue of Breakthrough.

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