What's it Wednesday

While researching sculpture projects I have run into some amazing and unique animals. I have turned this into a game for School groups that tour my studio.  Any guesses?

Colossal Crocodile

A short video from a recent project for a travelling exhibition on Crocodiles.

How to build a giant crocodile in less than 3 minutes.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZEp3PfwuH0

A new sculpture of an ancient fish

Last week we finished up the second part of a great project for the Hastings Museum. A 14 ft. long sculpture of Xiphactinus. It is paired with a sculpture, Owen Bissex and I previously produced a 27 foot long Tylosaurus. As is always the case, a big project like Xiphactinus can only be accomplished with the help of a great team. In this case my new studio assistant Jeff Compton brought a lot of fishy expertise and effort to the project. We also had extra help from Jo Kamm during the mold making and casting process. Please take a few minutes to watch the production and installation of this fantastic animal. I would also like to say thanks to Zoe Keating who gave me permission to use her amazing music for the film. www.zoekeating.com


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jla2g1iM8tE

Return of the King (boy king that is)

I never cease to be amazed at the diversity of projects that come through the studio.

Paleontology, Archeology, Forensic reconstruction modern reproductions. We have done a bit of it all. A few months back the National Geographic Society and AEG (Art and exhibition, approached me to create a model of the mummy of Tutankhamun. It was a short time frame with some complex logistics. The mummy had been CT scanned and so we had to process that information into the correct file format in order to send it to a 3-D printer. The trick was to find a company that could rapid prototype the mummy in the most accurate way possible. (with in the very short time frame.)

After a bit of intense deliberation I decided to use the medical imaging software company "Materialise" a corporation headquartered in Belgium, with branches in the US. They were able to interpret the CT data and begin the prototype of the model. While they were working on the prototype I flew to Luxor, Egypt to the Valley of the Kings to gather reference information and photograph the mummy in it's tomb. A surreal experience to be sure. When I returned my studio assistant Owen Bissex and I sculpted in the fine details of skin fabric and Bruce Wendorff built the display tray for the Mummy out of imported Beech wood.

Watch a video of the process http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwM1q8gSbF0

Pteribble Pteranodon's and Tylosaurus

Please keep your eyes on this space for updates on new projects, New Paleontological finds and interesting observations on nature.

This has been an amazing year for large sculpture. We've just begun a full scale 22 foot wing span Pteranodon sculpture for a new Science Building, being built at Hastings College in Hastings Nebraska.

Keeping with the Cretaceous seaway theme we have also been commissioned to produce a 30 foot long Tylosaurus proriger (a kind of Mosasaur). This marine reptile will hang in the Atrium space of the Hastings Museum of Natural History. Both the Pteranodon and Tylosaurus shared the the same space in what now is Kansas, Nebraska. over 83 million years ago, when it was covered by a shallow inland sea.

Upcoming Lecture

October 1st 8:00 pm Hastings College, Hastings Nebraska

In support of the installation of the sculpture and the opening of a their new science center, Hastings College has asked me to give a lecture about my work. This evening lecture will cover the process involved in creating prehistoric life models and some of my recent work for University of Chicago and National Geographic.