Why Blog......
OK, so I'm new to this bloggin' business, but I'm already having a crisis of confidence over the appropriateness of the format. I read Tetrapod Zoology, Theropoda, Dave Hone's Arcosauria Musings and their ilk avidly, there's rafts of information, new and reappraised, to impart and absorb, cross questions to negotiate and opinions to disseminate - lively forums of discussion. As an illustrator, as a 'paleoartist', this feels uncomfortably on the level of vanity publishing, ego-stroking - a look at me, aren't I clever - showcase. OK in the back of my mind lurks the wish that publishers and palaeontologists will suddenly discover me and recognise my worth....but then you have to be doing what publishers want to see.....
Anyway, what the hell, press on....Appropriateness - I've long been fascinated by the curiosities of the Australian fauna ( I have a signed copy of David Fleay's 'Paradoxical Platypus' - but then, maybe he signed them all ), and to celebrate Australia Day - which was only three weeks ago, sorry - I'm posting a set of drawings of the Platypus. These were prepared about a decade ago, the idea being to publish monographs of individual species, much in the way that Profile Publications did for airheads and petrolheads all those years ago. There are no live Platypii in the UK, so these were drawn from museum exhibits ( Booth's Museum in Brighton were particularly helpful ), videos of live animals and published material. As is the way of these things, the project was never completed. There will be more - Procoptodon, Thylacoleo and the enigmatic QMF.15.990.....Watch this space, if you can be arsed....J
OK, so I'm new to this bloggin' business, but I'm already having a crisis of confidence over the appropriateness of the format. I read Tetrapod Zoology, Theropoda, Dave Hone's Arcosauria Musings and their ilk avidly, there's rafts of information, new and reappraised, to impart and absorb, cross questions to negotiate and opinions to disseminate - lively forums of discussion. As an illustrator, as a 'paleoartist', this feels uncomfortably on the level of vanity publishing, ego-stroking - a look at me, aren't I clever - showcase. OK in the back of my mind lurks the wish that publishers and palaeontologists will suddenly discover me and recognise my worth....but then you have to be doing what publishers want to see.....
Anyway, what the hell, press on....Appropriateness - I've long been fascinated by the curiosities of the Australian fauna ( I have a signed copy of David Fleay's 'Paradoxical Platypus' - but then, maybe he signed them all ), and to celebrate Australia Day - which was only three weeks ago, sorry - I'm posting a set of drawings of the Platypus. These were prepared about a decade ago, the idea being to publish monographs of individual species, much in the way that Profile Publications did for airheads and petrolheads all those years ago. There are no live Platypii in the UK, so these were drawn from museum exhibits ( Booth's Museum in Brighton were particularly helpful ), videos of live animals and published material. As is the way of these things, the project was never completed. There will be more - Procoptodon, Thylacoleo and the enigmatic QMF.15.990.....Watch this space, if you can be arsed....J
Male standing, showing rolled membrane on one forepaw.
I had left rather a long comment which seems to have vanished. Might be stuck waiting for approval. If not, here's the gist of it again.
ReplyDeleteNice stuff Jim, people will read your blog no matter what you intend with it, so it doesn't matter if you're none too sure of your motivation or style, others will benefit. Like the work, keep it up!
Dave
I really enjoy stopping by your blog to see your art- don't stop if you enjoy doing it!
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