My name is CarLy Haney, and I'm a 28-year-old artist in Spokane, Washington who works in the unique medium of real and taxidermied tarantulas. I mounted my first big spider in the Spring of 2014 and since have created over 100 pieces, all one of a kind and different than the last. My unique art has become somewhat recognizable among my city, and though taxidermy does not appeal to everyone, the spiders draw big reactions and create a stir to any group who encounter them.
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Once the arachnids are deceased, they are given chemical baths and filled with cotton. They must then be put into position with pins and dried. Once ready to be mounted, they are matched with a background, vintage frames, and other elegant embellishments. However, setting myself apart from other insect artists, these scary spiders are given no protective glass, allowing onlookers to come as close as their courage may allow and even give them a gentle pat.
Though as you can imagine, many types of spiders are far too fragile to be shipped in the mail, as for the beefier ones many have been shipped to oddity fans all over the country, even to a celebrity or two. When handled with care, they make an intriguing conversation piece.
Spiders are a fascinating product of nature and are often misunderstood. Should my art have a statement, it is to simply provide a pedestal to a creature deserving of a second look while in the setting of luxury. We are conditioned to hate them, but what makes something unpopular does not also make it not beautiful. Spiders are beautiful and deserve respect.
You may find my taxidermy animal pieces for sale on my website as well as on my Etsy page.
I am always willing to create custom orders to my like-minded and strange brothers and sisters, even if you have a different specimen in mind such as a bat, a butterfly, a beetle or a scorpion, it can be done.
