Mammals of Maine

My husband and I live on a pickerelweed marsh in southern Maine. Wildlife abounds, and I’ve seen many animals right from my front door. Beaver, river otter, bobcats, short-tailed weasels, voles, snowshoe hares and more. We also keep a few trail cams up, and that has enabled us see even more of the wildlife here, as well as to watch behaviors of the animals living their lives. But not all of Maine’s mammals live here on our small patch, and many are elusive. According to the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website, there are 37 species of mammals native to Maine. I decided to sculpt all of them (well, except for the 8 species of bats, I decided to let the Little Brown Bat be their representative). In order to do this project I found multiple photos of each animal to use as references, and read up on their ethology and biology. Doing this art was a way to deepen my understanding of my neighbors. I don’t consider myself a purely realistic sculptor. I take liberties with some of their anatomy, and obviously raccoons don’t wear sweaters. However, I like to think that I’ve let them express themselves for who they are in real life.