As I was hunting around for items for this week’s parade of Etsy horribles, I came up on the really unusual work of Kelly Rene, and I just had to share it. In her shop, Little Stag Studio, she sells striking replicas of animal heads using meticulously-pieced upholstery fabric. The resulting decoration is so much better than taxidermy. (Frankly, most things are.) I love them! If I had higher ceilings, I’d certainly be saving up for one.

Rene reports that she grew up in rural Wisconsin, where taxidermy was a regular feature. Her art employs many of the same techniques taxidermists use. But even more than her rural roots, her art springs from her love of fairytales.

“There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion.” -Edgar Allen Poe (as quoted by Kelly Rene)

The head forms, glass eyes, and other supports are all the same as traditional mounts, but of course her use of fabric rather than skin makes them really new and interesting. Her horns and antlers are either cast in resin or found. (In other words, no animals are harmed in the making of her pieces.) Her website is well worth a visit, too. Enjoy!

All photos property of Kelly Rene, used with permission.