strong-taxidermy

Paloma is what you could call a taxidermy wunderkind. Though only 26, she has been working in taxidermy for nearly 10 years. She has studied under contemporary masters in the field, her work has been displayed in museums, she has competed at the World Taxidermy & Fish Carving Championships several times- simply put, in the world of taxidermy, Paloma is among the best of the best.

Last month, Paloma was gracious enough to invite me to her home for a photoshoot to highlight the opening of her new taxidermy studio, Strong Taxidermy. I spent the afternoon in a wonderful whirlwind of birds, birds and more birds (maybe a stray snake or possum too). Paloma is nothing if not passionate, and it's easy to see how she is so successful at what she does; her dedication to her work is simply unparalleled.

I am interested in taxidermy as the merging of science with art, and am so happy to have Paloma’s work in The Magic Theater, an issue I envisioned as being a virtual cabinet of curiosities. Paloma’s work brings together that vision perfectly.

What follows is a look into our time together and some insights into Paloma, her work, and her new taxidermy studio. I hope you will be as inspired by her as I am.

- Juliette, E.I.C Orpheus

Orpheus: Any interesting dreams lately?

Paloma: I’m a very deep sleeper. I either don’t dream or don’t remember them, but occasionally I wake up with distant feelings or memories that feel like echoes of dreams. I wish I only remembered the good dreams, but as a perpetually anxious person, the only dreams I remember are stressful: I’m lost in a house I know is mine but have never seen before. I'm in a class I forgot about for the entire semester. I'm surrounded by a family I’ve never met.

O: Describe your perfect day.

P: I love mornings. If I could have a never-ending morning where I wake up from a bird song, enjoy my coffee, and sit down to enjoy the silence. . . . I could spend some time walking around my neighborhood, then work on a bird in perfect condition that just comes together effortlessly. I could skip the daytime, but I would love to enjoy dusk, a bit of the night, then go to bed.

O: What are your fears?

P: I’m a perfectionist and an overachiever. I work very late into the night and go to bed feeling like I didn’t do enough. After spending nearly a decade building my skills and following my passion, my greatest fear is losing everything, not being able to do what I love, and having to move on and settle for something else.

O: What are your hopes?

P: I want to be a source of education and inspiration for the love of birds, nature, and conservation. There is so much beauty in the world, and I know there is a community out there that wants to be able to capture it: the beauty of nature, preserving what is so fragile, protecting what we love about this world. My hope is to inspire others to care about the natural world and keep it alive.

O: What draws you to birds?

P: I was named after a bird - I think I was always destined to have a love of them. [Birds] have both simple and complex motivations, so I could spend my whole life learning about them and still not know enough. They are great teachers; they can show you how the world works, how evolution has shaped life on earth. I find them so incredibly fascinating and beautiful.

O: What is your favorite birding memory?

P: I once took some of my closest friends to the LA river for some birding. They aren’t birders, so they didn’t really notice how many birds are out there, right in the heart of Los Angeles. I remember seeing a group of at least 10 species without having to move from where we stood. Something clicked for them: they realized there are so many birds. There are an overwhelming number of birds in the world. They can be so closely related, but look and behave so differently. I love witnessing that spark when people realize their role in the world, how we interact with nature and how much is happening all around us.

O: What would be your dream bird sighting?

P: While I deeply adore our native birds in the U.S., I want to travel more to see species I’ve only encountered in museums, videos, and photos. The two continents I want to spend time in are South America and Africa. South America has manakins, toucans, the Andean condor, the hoatzin, the quetzal. . . . and Africa has kingfishers, hornbills, bee-eaters, rollers, and of course, the secretarybird. Honestly, it's nearly impossible to narrow down the list to just one bird, or even one continent - my bird life list is longer than all my grocery lists combined.

O: Favorite bird species of the moment and why?

P: This always changes for me, but at the moment, I’m really loving the American woodcock. I spend a lot of time consuming bird memes online and this guy is the star of pretty much all of them. They do a silly little dance when they walk, they make adorable sounds, and just radiate charisma. I’m sure my answer changes daily, but today, I’m going with the woodcock.

O: What do you hope to achieve with Strong Taxidermy?

P: I have big dreams with Strong Taxidermy. I want to build a company centered around community and representation. Eventually, I’d love to create a space where taxidermists can work together to preserve animals who deserve to have their stories told. I want to create an online community where people from all over the world can connect over their love of taxidermy - where they can learn, exchange ideas, and celebrate their talent. I love working with protected species (legally, with my migratory bird permit) for museums, nature centers, and Audubon centers, but I want to be a mentor for people who want to do the same. So many collections across the world need restoration, maintenance, new taxidermy specimens, etc. so people continue to learn and connect with the natural world. If I can contribute to that, I would be so grateful.

O: How would you define taxidermy, in terms of what it means to you?

Taxidermy, at its core, is just arranging skin. It is simply the movement and placement of skin - but really, there is so much more to the practice. For me, it is about fully understanding a specimen: its anatomy, behavior, adaptations and story. With a combination of skills - skinning, sculpting, painting, wiring, woodworking, tanning, research, and so much more - you can preserve an animal that has
passed away, and in a way, return it to the world. As taxidermists, we’re constantly chasing what nature has created effortlessly. We will never get there, but we spend our whole lives trying.

"As taxidermists, we’re constantly chasing what nature has created effortlessly. We will never get there, but we spend our whole lives trying."

O: Describe the first time you encountered taxidermy and walk me through the story of your first mount.

P: When I was younger, I spent so much of my time in museums. My mother is someone who really pushed for us to explore the world, whether it was running around in the forests when the weather allowed, reading anything we could get our hands on, or spending time in museums. I always loved natural history museums, or any museum that had a taxidermy collection. I remember being so young and not understanding how I could be looking at an animal as if it was a photo, because everything was still and captured in a single moment, but so tangible and real. There was so much fascination in being able to see an animal up close, understand its true size, understand how it interacts with its environment.
My first mount was a disaster. Because I’d studied birds and obsessed over taxidermy for years, I thought that I could easily pull it off - but it turned out to be the hardest thing I have ever tried to do. It was a mess of confusing anatomy and delicate skin, and there were feathers everywhere. I have never felt so lost, but at the same time, I was so stubborn and wanted to work it all out. I knew then I would spend my whole life chasing after taxidermy. I don’t think I kept my first bird; it was pretty awful. But I’ll never forget the feeling of finding my passion.

O: What is your favorite tool that you use in your work and why?

P: My favorite tool is a pair of embroidery scissors. I have so many tools, but these tiny scissors - I could use medical scissors, but these are perfect: sharp, precise, and shaped like a crane. I really couldn't ask for a better tool. I even have them tattooed, along with my favorite scalpel for museum prep. I eventually want to have all of my favorite tools tattooed.

O: What are you reading currently?

P: I just finished reading Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami. He is my favorite author, and this was one I hadn’t read yet - I found it at my local library. I started reading his books when I was going through a very dark period in my life, and I find his writing deeply comforting. Starting my own business has brought a lot of uncertainty and change, so returning to his books have brought me great comfort in getting lost in the strange worlds he creates.

O: What music are you listening to at the moment?

P: Lately, I haven’t found any new music that sticks. I think it is because I spend so much time working that I just crave familiarity. I have been listening to my favorite bands since I was a teenager: Talking Heads, Electric Light Orchestra, and Kate Bush. All on repeat.

O: What do you value the most?

P: I value quality time the most, whether it's with my partner, my family, or my closest friends. As I get older, I realize how little time I have to spend with my favorite people. I love nothing more than sitting around with the people who are closest to me to catch up, talk about the world, spread gossip, and just exist with the people I love.

O: What is inspiring you lately?

P: I am so inspired by the women in my industry. Their persistence, passion, creativity and enthusiasm for what they do genuinely blow me away. When I see how much they have accomplished, it inspires me to keep going. I am so proud to be a part of this community of women in the taxidermy - and I’m constantly in awe by what they achieve.

O: Describe a typical day in your life.

P: wake up very early so I can enjoy at least two cups of coffee. While I wake up, I check social media, emails, and voicemails to see if there is anything I need to respond to. Then I head over to my studio for hands-on work: prepping, making forms, putting a specimen together, finishing work, whatever it may be. I take breaks to enjoy some fresh air with my dog and partner, then dive back in. I usually wrap up by 5 or 6 to go home and take care of my animals and make dinner. I then spend a few more hours editing videos for Patreon, editing social media content, writing documents, or working on my website. I always hope to get into bed by 10, but I’m lucky if I get to bed before midnight.

O: Share a childhood memory.

P: One summer it was unusually hot, and my best friend and I were playing outside when the weather quickly shifted and it started hailing. The whole neighborhood was quickly covered in white ice, but it wasn’t cold. We grabbed a few umbrellas and turned them inside out so we could collect the hail like treasure. We spent an hour eating it like popcorn and trying unsuccessfully to make snowballs. Then, my mom came outside to announce she was ordering pizza - something we never did. We even tried to hustle the pizza guy and sell him hail (he declined, politely). We ate our pizza and declared it to be the best day of our lives. I still think it was.