I went with my sister and nieces to visit the
Natural History Museum over the weekend. I don't think I had been since I was a kid. I was BLOWN AWAY by how amazing the dioramas were (pictured above -- not great shots, but they give you a rough idea how cool the dioramas look). I just kept GAPING at them. They are total works of art -- startlingly realistic, incredibly detailed, and scientifically accurate. Totally believable. They transport you. They are AMAZING.
Long after I left the museum, I still could not stop thinking about the dioramas and wondering how I could get a job making them. !!!!!!DREAM JOB!!!!!! I investigated this notion a bit further by looking at the
Natural History Museum website which has a
page dedicated to
the artists that create these dioramas. YAY!
From what I read, their are two types of artists involved with creating museum dioramas:
1) artists that develop compositions, paint backgrounds, and create settings for the dioramas; and,
2) taxidermists that create the animals for the dioramas.
I was an art major in college years ago. It is not easy to make a living with a degree in art, but I have almost always managed to find a job connected to the art world. BUT WOW, I never ever thought of becoming an artist that made dioramas for a museum. TALK ABOUT A DREAM JOB!!!!!!!! I wish I had thought of all of this and TRAINED FOR IT long ago!!!!
Needless to say, I am in absolute awe of what the artists, taxidermists and natural history museums present to us. If you get a chance, visit a natural history museum soon and check out the dioramas. I think/hope you will be impressed!
P.S. If this topic is of interest to you, you might want to check out
this article with Tim Bovard, Taxidermist for the
Natural History Museum, Los Angeles. TIM BOVARD, if you happen to see this blog post and think you might want to train me to assist you, PLEASE EMAIL ME! drollgirlmail@gmail.com :)
Here are pics of some SUPER dioramas (not my pics -- found via google images):
And here is a book on the same topic that I cannot wait to get!
CLEARLY I HAVE A NEW OBSESSION! :)