Two-Headed Calf

My name is Shannon Carlson and my piece is called Two Headed Calf. It was created September of twenty twenty six. Although I've wanted to make this piece for years. It is inspired by the poem Two Headed Calf by Laura Gilpin, which reads, to morrow when the farm boy finds this freak of nature, they will wrap his body in newspaper and carry him to the museum. But tonight he is alive and in the north field with his mother. It is a perfect summer evening, the moon rising over the orchard, the wind in the grass. And as he stares into the sky, there are twice as many stars as usual. The piece is a faux taxidermy style, two headed Holstein cow calf that hangs on the wall. Holstein cows are the classic dairy cow with black and white markings. It has two heads and shows them from their shoulders on, and also includes two small, vestigial legs on the bottom of the chest dangling over the side of the frame. The piece has a maroon wooden background and a dark brown wooden frame. The left head, who I've named Marshmello, is slightly tilted left and is farther up and further back than the right head, which is tilted right and slightly forward. The right head is named cream, and she has black markings around her eyes that go all the way down her face and her nose is black. Marshmallow also has spots around her eyes, but they are smaller and she has a white and pink nose. They both have brown eyes, long eyelashes, and fluffy ears. They also have a lot of intentional wrinkles around their necks and some loose skin. It was built by layering cardboard to form a basic shape. Then spray foam was applied and carved for the general shape. The details on the nose and eyes were sculpted with clay, then painted and sealed with resin and silicone, and the entire body is tightly wrapped, wrapped in a soft fabric. They are cute and curious looking, and the piece gives a more whimsical than scary vibe.