Quote:
Originally Posted by Andestine  Hello 
Like many others on this site, I have an ever-growing collection of found objects. My home is like a small museum, but most of my finds are housed in boxes due to a lack of horizontal surfaces on which to display them.
I would be most grateful for any ideas on how to increase the maximum surface areas for display (I have wall space and a large darkwood dresser). I'd like to hang the skulls vertically (like shields  ) and I particularly need advice on how to display feathers.
I also need to know how to mount fragile items like spider crab carapaces and certain shells.
Although not wildlife, some suggestions on how to mount old fragments of pottery and small rock samples would also be appreciated
I'm aiming for aesthetically pleasing displays and not scientific ones, and I'd be particularly interested to see photographs of how other members have chosen to display their finds
Cheers,
Andestine  |
Hi Andestine.
See if we can put a few ideas your way.
The feather question, have you tried a background say of cork (this could be covered with satin or a silk like material) then get staples depending on the size of you feather, cut one of the ends off, left with an L shape the smaller of the L goes into the back of the feather and tuther end into the cork, then make up your display, I would think that an adhesive of some sort would prevent the feather from falling off or out.
Crabs and exoskeletons, slightly thinking Africa here, Benin Empire and In particular Benin Bronzes....made with Wax Removal Process, you just do it in reverse and add wax into the body to give it that extra weight, if not this way to make it lighter and stronger try a plaster of Paris mixture then cover the inside as you would the chocolate when making an Easter Bunny ( have not made such things myself ofcourse)....just rambling ideas, you might make sense of them.
As to the pottery and shells....Mmmm, going back to my school days of paper mache, make a background undulating or whatever, smooth it down and stick your pottery and shells where ever, then when done spray or paint a glue around them and add sands of various colours to get a textured background with colour and depth, skulls would look rather embossed like this, but if the whole thing is on a board of some sort easily hung.
Afraid I have got nothing like this to show you, just ideas in the making...hope that some could be of help to you.
All the best and good luck.
Martin