Ethics and sourcing:
As an individual artist in full control of my work, I can make choices that inspire responsible practices and take positive action. I create each piece with intention, and do not ever want to profit from another’s suffering. As such, I do not use “ethically-sourced” as a blanket term to define my sourcing ethics since this does not explain how, where, or what the sourcing process actually entails and is being used to dismiss many sourcing concerns by evading important questions.
Unfortunately, with the rise in the popularity of commercializing insect and animal specimens in the commercial oddities community, demand has increased and many artists and resellers source bones and remains in ways that do not align with my own values on respecting life, both before and after death. In contrast, I aim to ensure that my sourcing is as transparent and responsible as possible and creates no negative impact on the environment or the living specimens.
My sourcing:
The gemstones purchased for use in my work are from small-scale suppliers who source from safe and domestic mines, fair trade certified/family-owned lapidaries and old gem stock. Many of today’s gemstone mines and lapidaries foster unsafe conditions and environmentally destructive practices, so I make it a priority to choose the least-harmful options when buying minerals and crystals.
While I may not have the largest and most flashy selection of crystals, they have been sourced with care and intention. If you are looking for something I do not have, feel free to ask-many popular stones or good alternatives can be found from these sources with a little bit of extra time and effort.
All animal and insect remains are collected as natural death specimens by myself or freinds of mine that I can trust hold the same values. Any alternative sources (donated scientific specimens, antique or vintage specimens, etc) will be noted on the piece’s description. Natural-death specimens mean that I have received the specimen after living its full life, and it was not killed or culled for commercial purposed as a result of hunting, trapping, breeding or food by-product. I do not purchase imported farmed insects, and do not purchase feeder animals. I do collect and process legal local roadkill species in alignment with all federal and state laws that apply including CITES, Lacey Act, and the MBTA.
I do not make use of human remains. Many sources of human bones, including those listed as retired medical specimens are sold without the consent of the (often marginalized) deceased and their family. Teeth are excluded from this definition, and I source teeth from consenting patients via dental care professionals.
Other sources of remains are 3D printed replicas which I print and finish in-house from open-source or commercially-licensed CT or photogrammetry scans.
FAQs
How are these pieces made? Is it dipped in metal?
Not quite! The electroforming process does deposit metal onto the surface of the objects, but it is neither hot nor liquid. Instead, it’s slowly “grown” onto the surface via plating after the surface of the object has been sealed and made conductive. The object is then placed in an acid and copper electrolyte solution, where electric currents are added to bring copper from a pure copper anode to the object (cathode). It’s the same process used to create the “bronze” baby shoes!
How long does it take to make?
Between 48 and 72 hours for most pieces. After the initial preparation the pieces go into the electroforming solution for a minimum of 24-48 hours, with larger or more complex pieces staying in longer for maximum stability. After that they are polished if needed, and finished with any patina or surface treatments.
Is that a real bug/flower? Is it inside?
Yes! Unless stated as a hand-sculpted item all of my botanical pieces are real flowers/leaves/insects, etc. The original object is dried, sealed, coated in conductive paint, and the copper is grown onto it creating a hard case of metal. The object remains preserved inside forever.
How do I take care of it?
Avoid harsh conditions, exposure to water, chemicals and excessive heat or cold. These are small pieces of wearable art, so they should be treated with care. Copper will naturally patina over time, and can be brightened using a soft polishing cloth.
Please review the full care guide for more information.
Where do you get the insects/bones?
All of my bones are found in nature, gifted to me from friends who’s personal animals have passed, or are purchased from personal contacts who specialize in cleaning roadkill or remains of animals that have died of natural causes. I do not use animal remains from commercial farming, hunting or trapping.
How are the stone sources considered responsible?
Above all I like to see sellers that are proud to be open about their ethics. I want to see that they have good relationships with their sources and gem cutters, and are knowledgeable about what they have. I choose sellers that consider themselves or their sources domestic, tracable, transparent, conflict-free, small-scale and/or family-owned, and certified with associations that hold members to higher ethical standards of business.