Okay, so I’m pretty sure that everyone’s sick of this year. I’ll be perfectly candid and share your sentiments. 2020 can rot in a ditch somewhere in Bulgaria, and no one will miss it. (Sorry, Bulgarians—you were the first country that came to mind for some reason.) But even with the backdrop of a global pandemic, growing tensions between systematically oppressed minority groups and the people who perpetuate said systems (#BLM, always), and the occasional Trump Twitter tantrum, someone’s gotta draw dinosaurs.
And draw dinosaurs we did.
I feel that this year’s paleoart has been a reflection of the turbulence 2020’s offered. We’ve got some awesome descriptions of more complete Spinosaurus remains (and the ensuing discourse that’s worth at least a modicum of entertainment value), the drama of a compsognathid whose remains were stolen from Brazil by a man who’s wanted by their federal officials, and a Cretaceous-era bird preserved in amber—
Wait. Hold on. It wasn’t a bird? It was a lepidosaur? Well, that’s fine. That’s still pretty neat— Oh. It’s from Myanmar amber. The very same that’s funding a war. And the paper that described it was rescinded. Freaking yikes, bruh.
Uh… Well. At least the art was cool. And in all honesty, I’m thankful of the awareness 2020’s brought awareness to various facets of life. We’re all a little more politically involved and invested the processes that lead legislation from conception to execution. Human rights concerns are closer to the forefront of paleontology, as the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) has discouraged the use of Myanmar amber. The obvious relevant implementation of virology and epidemiology can help us ensure that the COVID-19 pandemic never happens again or at least in this magnitude. (I know my optimism is saccharine.) Heck, maybe some of the brightest minds of a new generation of medical personnel are reading this!
As for me, I’m pretty satisfied with where my art is going and some of the new directions I foresee myself trying to radiate to with the turn of the new year. I’m taking my first scientific illustration course next academic quarter, which should prove fruitful! While there are many pieces I had genuine fun producing and sharing, my favorite has to be the newest Stegosaurus stenops I produced. This steg represents a semi-tradition of churning out an annual reconstruction around November-December. I swear it’s not on purpose.
I guess the reason why I like it so much is because it resembles a stegosaurus from my younger years of art production. I didn’t set out to reproduce the original 2015 work. The pieces just kind of fell together naturally, and I noticed the resemblance only after completion. There are other reasons for me to be proud of this work, such as the lighting and detailing, but there’s something nice about a design coming back around from the past. It’s a reminder that art is iterative.
One last thing I want to discuss briefly is how thankful I am to have the support of, well, you. It doesn’t matter if you’ve come across this post on a whim or have been a follower of my content for years, thank you for being here and hanging out for however long you’ve chosen to do so. It means a lot. Because of you and people like you, I’ve launched my first successful home-grown art sale, gotten more commissions and donations than all of my prior active years combined, created complex pieces with a distinct atmosphere and ambiance, and I just feel like I’m so much closer to being the artist I’ve always wanted to be.
So…yeah! Thanks a ton, and I’ll be back in 2021 with some (hopefully) neat content and more of The Menagerie written. Be kind and be well.
– Charles
The Paint Paddock 