Eewana
The enemy of my enemy....Presenting the Prehistoric Animals Coloring Book from Sammons Studio.This
self-published book contains thirteen black and white pointilism illustrations, many of
which are derived from the dinosaur illustrations above, as well as some of my newer work on
invertebrates. The book also contains interesting paleontological information for each animal
illustrated. The information was reviewed and edited for accuracy by two
professional paleontologist, Todd Hendricks and Dan Phelps. Following are
a few examples from the coloring book.
Here are pictures of my Rupposaurus rex---a "life-size" sculpture commissioned
by the University of Kentucky Basketball Museum as a part of their 2001/2002 fund-raising
effort entitled "Wildcat Madness". My 'Rupposaurus' was just one of approximately 150 such
wildcats--each wildcat reflecting a different theme unique unto each artist/designer.
The project is modeled after the fiberglass cows project in Chicago and the later Lexington, KY
version of the idea using life-size fiberglass horses. It was called "Horse Mania" and
was very popular in the Bluegrass.
The 'piece de resistence' of Tyrannosaurus rex model kits: Tony McVey's running T.Rex, 1:30 scale.
This model is the most exquisitely detailed and anatomically realistic Tyrannosaurus rex that
I have found, and I did a lot
of research and searching to find this wonderful sculpture.
The following photos show a 'rex of a different color. Dinosaur collector Michael Lask commissioned my service to buildup his 1:30 McVey Running Tyrannosaurus rex. Mike wanted a color pattern like mine (dark over light) but green instead of brown, to enable this great predator to blend in with his lush, green environment.
Here are some examples of buildup work I completed for collector Paul Harrison. For a review of the CM Studio 1:35 T. rex, please see my review at the Dinosaur Art and Modeling site. In the pictures below, I have shortened the snout of the CM Studio T. rex, resculpted the front teeth, and replaced the sculpted eyes with taxidermy eyes fixed at a wider angle relative to the midline of the head. New pictures of more recent work on other kits are forthcoming.
Dinosaur enthusiast Jim Anderson also admired Tony's running Tyrannosaurus rex. I completed a darker, banded version of the kit for Jim.
If you are interested in purchasing this model kit or any of Tony McVey's
masterful sculptures and other model kits,
you may contact him directly at Menagerie Productions, 250 Napoleon Street, Unit J,
San Francisco, CA
94124, tel:415-920-9135, or fax:415-920-9184. You may also view other samples of Tony McVey's work at Tony's
web site:
And at the
Dinosaur Art and Modeling site owned by John Rafert.
Next, the CM Studio 1:25 Styracosaurus and Ankylosaurus, completed for dinosaur collector John Peluso.
Mike Trcic's Tyrannosaurus rex head profile, from my own collection. This is one of my favorite headstudies of a T. rex. Although the form is very realistic, the skin texture consists of artistic swirls and cross-hatching--but this texture works. It seems appropriate for the sculpture. In my opinion, this piece is intended to be perceived as a sculpture, rather than strictly as a life-reconstruction. So, I decided to play up the profile's sculptural quality and chose to paint it with a metallic bronze color with a thin, rubbed off turquoise patina.
The Jurassic Park "Snap-Tite" kit "Velociraptors" (aka Deinonychus, or is that Deinonychi?) I struggled with the coloration of this pair and finally settled on an all-over earthy brown with darker umber speckling. This kit is very inexpensive, has excellent detail, and the parts fit together as well (if not better) as any of the high-priced resin kits I've worked on. My only minor criticism is that the tails are whip-like rather than the characteristic ram-rod tails seen in the fossils of Deinonychus.
The Pack of Six Velociraptors from Tamiya, 1:35 scale--from my own collection. I was quite pleased with the detail of this kit (they are very tiny.) These individuals mount on their own, individual mounds, and may be arranged as you please. I figured out a configuration that I particularly liked, and made a Sculpey base to hold them that way. Otherwise, they would be standing independently of one another.
I love these guys--the Tyrannosaurus rex pair from Maximo Salas, 1:35 scale. This is perhaps the simplest color scheme I have used on a kit and I believe, for the scale, I like it the best (as far as my own personal collection goes). I did modify the mouth on the "gracile" (or male?) of the pair. I believed his jaw was hyperextended, so I closed it up a bit. This has given him jowely appearance, but it could be corrected on any future completions of this kit. Also, the base is scratch built/custom.
Horizon's "life-size" hatching T. rex:
| Kentucky Paleontological Society |
| Kentucky Geological Survey |
| Lexington Children's Museum |
| Autobiographical Comments |
