Birds, Preparators, and the Peabody

Who knew that below the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University there are lots of interesting things happening.  My last class of Bird Model Painting took place in the workshop of the Peabody Museum Preparator, Michael Anderson.

This is one of his cast model birds that he is preparing for exhibit.  Above to the right is Dorie of the Connecticut Natural Science Illustrators, the instructor.

Michael making an adjustment on one of our warblers.  He's the one who cast the models for our class.

Again Michael modeling the bird.  The tail feathers are made out of wood.

This is the Blackburnian Warbler that I'm working on.  I'm a lot further now than this photo but almost at the end.  When I'm finished Michael will put real bird legs on him and hopefully he will be chosen to go in the Bird Hall at the museum.  Kristoph, the museum's ornithologist, met with us also prior to heading to the workshop to assess what needed improvement on our models.  The other's were working on a Cape May and Tennessee Warbler.