Palaeo Portfolio

Kyle has another contribution to our community! "I have started another new palaeo... blog. PalaeoPortfolio will display all my sketch work of fossil bones ( I'm no good at the fleshed-out restorations ) with some background information you might find of interest. For the most part, I have a keen interest in illustrating theropods, particularly any osteological pathologies that they might bare as well.)

I was 'old school', meaning that I can remember how stunned I was when I first viewed Robert Bakker's incredibly life-like renditions of dinosaurs. For so many years, we had seen these creatures as plodding, tail-dragging evolutionary outcasts, somewhat rotund and obviously very stupid. I smile when I look back to the day when I first opened one of his books, The Dinosaur Heresies, (I have two copies of it, now) and my eyes fell upon page 22 (a feathered Deinonychus in leaping form!) I should add that this book was hated by profs of the time. How dare that Bakker fellow assume these creatures were anything but cold-blooded?!

Following that path, we have many dedicated paleontologists and artists who have taken great pains to draw sketches and pictures of these fantastic creatures... no longer lumbering and stupid, but full of life. A scientific field meets real science, and the dinosaurs are drawn anatomically correctly, with special care given to skeletal form and muscle attachment points. I am pleased to say that Kyle's own artwork is along this refreshing traditions. My dusty Aussie hat (if I still had one) is off to you!

For those who are curious - I can not draw to save my own skin. I rely heavily upon those with talent, explaining to them what I envision and how I would like things portrayed. Thus, most of the paleo-themed artwork on my blog is sent to me.

Anyway, Kyle's offering is Palaeo Portfolio (Direct address: http://palaeoportfolio.blogspot.com/). He also serves as public speaker for museums, schools and libraries, as well as a webmaster of a young children-young adults' book (Bones Rock!: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Paleontologist). If you have an interest in participating in a dinosaur dig, stop over at either of his sites and wave.