animal products in anything I do. No fur, wool, leather, or silk. I
have to admit to not being perfect in what I eat - specifically an
addiction to yoghurt and pizza - but no one is 100% - that doesn't
mean that veganism isn't a good goal.
The exception to this that you may notice is that bugs will
sometimes show up in my pieces. I've found some very nice fake
butterflies, so that explains them. However, sometimes the feral
cats bring me locusts and other bugs that are already deceased,
and whenever I buy lady bugs for my garden there are a few who
don't survive the trip. That is where the bugs come from.
This means that I can't be true to my own beliefs and make projects
that involve fur, wool, leather, or silk. Also, if you want a resin cast
to memorialize your hunting trip or fishing trip you are going to have
to go somewhere else. This is not something I want to debate
endlessly - it is just the way it is.
That said, I'm a huge fan of ecotourism myself (specifically if it
involves sharks) - so if you get to go scuba diving or camping or on a
photo hunt I'm all for helping you remember that experience.
Now, you may be thinking 'But Fluffy's favorite toy had a feather on
it and I want to use it in my resin cast for her!' - we can make an
exception in that case - people have given Gideon real fur toys in
the past, too. Bits of fur, baby teeth (I have Gideon's in a locket),
shed claws, etc are just fine. Also, fossil bones, fossil teeth,
cremains, or even natural animal products that were found without
harming the animal are fine. If you are fortunate enough to live in a
farm environment where you care for llamas or sheep or other fiber
producing animals that are your companions, email me - we can
discuss using their hair in a project. I am not opposed to using
animal products that do not involve killing the animal if they are not
mass produced - mass production almost always means animal
cruelty.
picture with Eli. He and Eli were great friends and
Gideon sees no reason to attack rats. He is aware
that not all cats feel this way about rats, and
suggests that companion rats and companion cats
should be kept separate in the vast majority of
cases.
