The Community
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Press 115 Years of Telling YOUR Story
Volume 116 Issue 18
www.thecommunitypress.com
Wednesday, November 1, 2023 s
Talented taxidermist and artist takes up residence in area Leslie Cholowsky Editor
Colin Starkevich is an artist of some renown who has recently started up an avian taxidermy business out of his residence near Rosalind. In 2023, Starkevich moved to the area, ending up about 10 miles southwest of Rosalind, along the river. He says it’s the perfect spot, as it is part of the northernmost area of the grasslands of Alberta, one of his passions as an artist. Starkevich grew up around taxidermy, as his father Brian runs Starky’s taxidermy in Edmonton, and has done for the past 40 years. “I learned how to do it as a kid, then later I started specializing in birds.” He says if you’ve had a bird mount done from Starky’s in the past 10 years or so, it is likely his work. Now he’s branched out on his own, specializing in bird taxidermy, while he also concentrates on his artwork. “This part of the country is bird hunter’s paradise,” he says. Not all of the work he does comes from hunters, however. Starkevich says much of his work comes from road kill or electrocution, where people have found the birds, obtained the necessary permits from Fish and Wildlife, and brought them to him for preservation. Starkevich has also been pursuing art for most of his life, he’s a wildlife painter of some renown, and has been portraying the Canadian prairies in his artwork since his teens. He’s realized some big achievements through his art work, he was personally invited by world-renowned artist Robert Bateman to attend a seminar he was teaching for master artists at age 21. By age 25, Starkevich debuted his work at his own show, in a 2,500 oneman exhibition at the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton, making him one of the youngest artists to have a solo exhibition at a provincial museum. He’s had a number of shows since then, including one in Lethbridge in 2020 that included both his artwork and taxidermy pieces. Starkevich also holds a diploma in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation and a degree in Environmental Sciences. He says it’s important to him to
raise awareness of the Canadian prairies through his artwork, and now, also through his taxidermy. He says he’s always viewed taxidermy as an art form in its own right. This summer he got to spend time in the arctic and sub-arctic area near Hudson’s Bay assisting in research taking place on Canada, Atlantic Brant, and Lesser Snow Geese. “That was very interesting for me. Everything I learn and experience works hand-in-hand with both my art and taxidermy. “As a taxidermist, I have to know birds very well, so mounts can be as realistic as possible.” Often bird mounts can include a small diorama, and his outdoor experience allows him to make those as accurately as possible. He also paints a lot of birds in his art, and feels like taxidermy gives him an inside edge when it comes to anatomy. Through the spring and summer, when he’s not working, Starkevich says he likes to take art-based camping trips. A lot of his work is done or started in plein-air, which means painting right on site. “What I love about this area is that I’m close to family, and just by going outside I’m in my happy place all the time.” He says he’s looking forward to painting some of the mule deer who are constant visitors on his land. Starkevich is finding his taxidermy is getting busier as people find out he’s around, and through referrals from his father. “I think I’m one of the only avian taxidermy specialists around.” He’s also preparing for a new show to be held at some point in the future, compiling new art pieces. Starkevich says he’s looking forward to spending more time around home this winter, and taking photos for future artwork. He works in both acrylic and oil. Starkevich says when friends ask him how he ended up ‘in the middle of nowhere,’ his response is this: “It’s not in the middle of nowhere; it’s in the middle of everywhere.” Certainly everywhere he wants to be, and he’s looking forward to getting to know the area better in the months to come as he searches for subjects for his art.
Colin Starkevich is a taxidermist located in the Rosalind area who specializes in birds, like this owl pictured to the right.
Starkevich in his workshop surrounded by some of his many mounts. He’s been specializing in taxidermy for the past decade, and worked with his father Brian at Starky’s Taxidermy since he was a kid.