Following my curiosity - The Creative Perspective with Simply Skull Cleaning

Katie Dortmans found her passion and creativity by being curious. Seeing the beauty in the weird and wonderful, Katie has grown her work with Simply Skull Cleaning into creative pieces of art - putting the spotlight on natural patterns and design and giving something discarded a second life.

Tell us about your creative journey - do you recall how you first discovered your interest and passion for the arts?

My creative journey started long before I ever thought of myself as an artist. As a child, I was always collecting things from nature (especially feathers) and finding ways to display them. I think I’ve always had a fascination with the small details and beauty that other people might overlook.

My path into skull cleaning was a little less conventional. Around 2010, my brother brought home some deer heads to boil, and I quickly decided there had to be a better way. I started researching, experimenting and eventually discovered dermestid beetles. What began as curiosity turned into a small beetle colony, and over the years that colony (and my business) grew.

As I became more comfortable working with skulls, I started seeing them differently. They weren't just something to clean; they were beautiful natural structures with their own character. That eventually led me into combining skulls, feathers and other natural materials into artwork.

So for me, the creative journey has really been about following my curiosity. I didn't set out with a plan to become an artist. I kept finding things that fascinated me and asking, “What can I do with this?”

Talk about your style. What defines your art? What do you pull inspiration from?

I would describe my style as natural, textural and a little unconventional. A lot of my work begins with something from nature, skulls, feathers, antlers or other materials, and I try to work with the character that's already there rather than forcing it into something it isn't.

I'm especially drawn to the details and patterns found in nature. Feathers are a perfect example of that. I love working with their natural shapes, colours and textures and arranging them in a way that allows them to become something completely different while still feeling connected to where they came from.

I'm also inspired by transformation. I like taking something that might otherwise be discarded and giving it another life. There is something really satisfying about taking a raw material, understanding what makes it interesting, and creating something that makes people stop and look at it differently.

A way that allows them to become something completely different while still feeling connected to where they came from.

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What’s the most challenging part of being an artist - and what’s the most rewarding?

The most challenging part is probably giving myself permission to call what I do art, and then putting a value on it. When you're self-taught and your path into art isn't traditional, there can be a lot of second-guessing.

There's also the practical side of being an artist. Creating the work is only one part of it. There's pricing, photographing it, talking about it, finding the right audience and figuring out how to make a creative business sustainable.

The most rewarding part is when someone sees something in my work that I hoped they would see. I love watching people initially react to a skull or a collection of feathers and then really look at it. When something makes someone curious, starts a conversation or changes the way they see a material they might normally overlook, that's incredibly rewarding.

How do you hope people feel or what do you hope they take away when they experience your art?

I hope my work makes people look twice.

A skull can be confronting at first, and feathers can be something people barely notice when they're lying on the ground. But when they're presented as art, people often start noticing the details: the symmetry, texture, colour and incredible design that's already there.

I don't necessarily need people to find everything I make beautiful. I'd rather it make them curious. I want people to think a little differently about death, nature, animals and the materials around them, and to recognize that there can be beauty and meaning in unexpected places.

What role do you think art plays in a community like ours?

I think art gives a community another way to see itself.

A local art community creates opportunities for people to share perspectives, ideas and experiences that might not otherwise cross paths. It also gives people a reason to slow down and engage with something simply because it interests them.

For me, one of the most valuable things about local art is that it doesn't have to exist somewhere far away in a gallery. It can happen in community spaces, small businesses, local events and conversations between neighbours. It makes art feel accessible and reminds people that artists aren't some distant group of people, they're right here in the community, making things and contributing to the place they live.

What’s next for you—are there any upcoming projects, shows, events, or goals you’re excited to share?

I'm continuing to grow Simply Skull Cleaning while expanding the creative side of the business. I'm particularly excited about developing more custom feather art, skull and natural-history pieces, and work that combines different reclaimed natural materials.

I'm also looking forward to expanding the reach of my skull-cleaning work and building more connections with taxidermists, hunters, museums and other people working with natural specimens.

This fall I'm also launching a new initiative through Simply Skull Cleaning where antlered animals cleaned during the season will be officially measured by an FROW-accredited measurer. It's a project I'm excited about because it brings together the practical side of my business with the hunting and conservation community in a way that adds something extra for my clients.

And, as always, I'm still experimenting. A lot of my favourite projects have started with a “I wonder if I could…” and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

A lot of my favourite projects have started with a “I wonder if I could…”

Anything else you'd like to add, or let us know?

I think the biggest thing I'd like people to know is that there isn't one right way to become an artist.

I didn't go to art school. I didn't start with a plan to build an art practice. I followed my curiosity, learned through experimentation and gradually realized that the things I was already drawn to, nature, bones, feathers, texture and transformation, were becoming my creative language.

I'm still learning, and I think that's part of what makes creating so interesting. There's always another material to explore, another idea to try and another question to answer.

Connect with Katie:

Website | Instagram | Facebook

simplyskullcleaning@gmail.com

519-384-3815