Alexis Howe

Thesis Project

Everyone has their own individual lifestyle, and my goal is to educate the public about mine. Hunting can be a controversial topic and there are people that will say it is ultimately cruel. When you dig deeper into the life of an ethical hunter, those practices may change your opinion. Most of my work focuses on nature and wildlife, which is why I felt like my book was an opportunity for me to explore by combining my subject matter with my lifestyle. My book, entitled “Wild Side: A Simplified Guide to Whitetail Taxidermy”, narrates my personal connection to ethical hunting and functions as an introductory guide to taxidermy. Overall, I had a great time experimenting with my first book. Writing and illustrating an entire book by myself proved to be a time consuming and difficult process in the amount of time I was given. But I ultimately learned so much about the process, things which would help speed it up if I were to ever do something similar in the future. I learned a variety of new digital techniques and skills that I will continue to enhance in years to come. I was ecstatic when I found a way to incorporate taxidermy into my illustration work and I hope to be able to cover more similar topics in the future. I ultimately hope that my book can not only educate people, but also guide new people into the practice of taxidermy.

Bio
Through her illustrations and mixed media creations, Alexis strives to share her perspective of life in an educational way. Her work is meant to shed light on many lifestyles for a better understanding of not only nature, but the way people can connect with it. Her process begins on paper and evolves into a recreation of nature through digital and traditional mediums, as well as taxidermy. Her work has been featured in a variety of competitions and exhibitions, including the 2022 and 2024 Pennsylvania Taxidermy Shows, the 2023 Ohio Taxidermy Show, and a Seasons Taproom exhibition in 2023.