Conversations with Savannah Watson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Savannah Watson. 

Hi Savannah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I guess I was always a little odd. weird clothes, strange movies, etc. (Lydia Deetz was always a huge inspiration to me, hahaha) 

A hunter friend of mine gave me a mountain lion skull one day in… 2015? 2016? and that was when I realized that there was nothing really stopping me from collecting bones and skulls, any legalities aside, of course. 

That one skull grew to three or four, then ten, 40, then I had a couple deer spines, and next thing I knew, I was purchasing a lot (*note- I don’t mean like, “omg, a lot”, I mean like a “lot quantity’, but I’m not sure how to better phrase that. any help would be appreciated*) of “craft grade bones” from someone on Facebook; somewhere around 200, I think. 

I was sitting there, in my office room at home, literally surrounded by bones. I was starting to feel overwhelmed a bit, and then I ended up arranging some dried flowers near a goat skull, and that’s when I realized rather than just hoarding bones like a dragon hoards gold, I could actually do something with them, and it might actually be cool. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There was a learning curve for sure. there’s somethings I had to learn the hard way (always, always always wear a respirator or mask when drilling bone, for example- the dust particulates are not good for your lungs), and there’s some risks I took that ended up breaking or even entirely destroying my some of my collection (using bleach instead of hydrogen peroxide to whiten bones makes them brittle, and can cause them to deteriorate, for example). 

Really though, it’s been fun, and my favorite part is that people seem to like the stuff I make. Originally, I’d never thought of selling these items, so when the first person inquired about buying a piece, I was over the moon! 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in decorating skulls, although I do make quite a bit of jewelry as well. I make necklaces and earrings from scratch, and *love* to find funky earrings while thrifting and retrofit them with teeny-tiny bones. I’ve also been big on domed showpieces for a while now, they’re definitely a lot of fun to create. 

My two favorite pieces are my copper and silver-painted deer skull- my cousin had found it for me in Nebraska during the eclipse in 2017, so that’s one of my favorites from both a technical and a sentimental level. My other favorite is a bear skull I found for a wicked deal; I won’t go into prices, but I’m still a little shocked to this day on what a bargain I got it for. it was the first “distressed” style paint job I’d done on a skull and has a gorgeous pendant in its mouth, he’s been though a lot with me since I got him, and I don’t think I’ll ever give him up or sell him. 

I like to make stuff just because, but I’m also open to commissions if the timing works out 

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I just keep my fingers crossed that “vulture culture” stays a thing for… Well, hopefully forever, haha, and I figure worst comes to worst, I keep making pieces and items for myself. Like I said before, I never set out with the intention of selling anything, so any time I do sell something is basically the best day ever 

Contact Info:

• Email: sincerelyfreakish@gmail.com
• Instagram: @sincerelyfreakish
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesincerelyfreakishone

Image Credits
Rachael-Anne Omps
Rob Carter