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Photo by Aaron Camens, taken at Lake Callabonna Fossil Locality
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FUPS 2020/2021
PalaeoArt Competition Online Gallery!
Click on the image or description for a larger view of the complete image
2D Traditional/Mixed Media Art
Alison Worsnop- Trilobites
This painting was inspired by the Oxford University Natural History Museum ‘Trilobite slab’, then the Emu Bay Shale Redlichia rex in The Conversation and the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology paper by James Holmes, et al and finally, the specimen of Redlichia takooensis at the Museum & Art Gallery NT.
Judges comments:
The colours in the trilobite piece are amazing and evocative of the oxidised iron sediments characteristic of many Australian fossil deposits. There’s also a great balance here between a recent death assemblage, with the carcasses settling on the sea bottom, and the transition to the way we often see trilobites preserved as fossils. I’ve been staring at it for about 5 minutes – are they alive or are they fossils? They look as though they are slowly embedding themselves in the rock.
Judges comments:
The colours in the trilobite piece are amazing and evocative of the oxidised iron sediments characteristic of many Australian fossil deposits. There’s also a great balance here between a recent death assemblage, with the carcasses settling on the sea bottom, and the transition to the way we often see trilobites preserved as fossils. I’ve been staring at it for about 5 minutes – are they alive or are they fossils? They look as though they are slowly embedding themselves in the rock.
Nellie Pease- Thylacoleo carnifex: Lion Around
This entry is a digital drawing of Thylacoleo carnifex.
Judges Comments:
This is a very sweet depiction of an unguarded Thylacoleo. I love its subtlety, its depiction of an utterly common behaviour, or lack thereof more to the point. Palaeo-artists often focus on depicting extinct animals with mouth agape, on the rampage or doing something very active. Although I realise this animal is just resting, it also reminds me of what it was like spending days lying alongside Nullarbor Thylacoleo #1, imaging it lying down exhausted and eventually stopping breathing.
Big fan of this one - serene! The spaces between the lines are as important in the detail as the lines themselves. I like that the pose is very non-traditional - how often do you get to see a big Thylacoleo butt?
Judges Comments:
This is a very sweet depiction of an unguarded Thylacoleo. I love its subtlety, its depiction of an utterly common behaviour, or lack thereof more to the point. Palaeo-artists often focus on depicting extinct animals with mouth agape, on the rampage or doing something very active. Although I realise this animal is just resting, it also reminds me of what it was like spending days lying alongside Nullarbor Thylacoleo #1, imaging it lying down exhausted and eventually stopping breathing.
Big fan of this one - serene! The spaces between the lines are as important in the detail as the lines themselves. I like that the pose is very non-traditional - how often do you get to see a big Thylacoleo butt?
Reece Wilczek- Australian Megafauna Cartoon Portrait
Judges’ comments:
This is brilliant and pure fun. I love the composition, the colours, the shadowing, the cartoonification of the anatomy. I think it’s really clever and super-engaging. It would be an amazing logo for a product or service primarily targeting a younger audience.
It’s great to see the Oz megafauna portrayed in a cartoon format. This really stands out because it’s so different to the way we usually see them in reconstructions. And they’re happy!
This is brilliant and pure fun. I love the composition, the colours, the shadowing, the cartoonification of the anatomy. I think it’s really clever and super-engaging. It would be an amazing logo for a product or service primarily targeting a younger audience.
It’s great to see the Oz megafauna portrayed in a cartoon format. This really stands out because it’s so different to the way we usually see them in reconstructions. And they’re happy!
John Barrie- Kanawinka Billabong 'Contact!'
Carnivorous Megafauna, Wonambi naracoortensis and Thylacoleo carnifex make contact at a Pleistocene Billabong. Sites along the Kanawinka Escarpment produce amazing fossils of these and many other species.
Judges Comments:
Beautiful use of light and I love the colours on the water, there’s something about this painting that makes me think of the Coorong. An original take on a battle between two apex predators of the Pleistocene that shows the artist’s own unique style without being heavily influenced by the plethora of Thylacoleo reconstructions out there.
Gorgeous. The muting colours evoke a steamy billabong that stretches off forever and the hint of rainbow on Wonambi is a reminder of the First Australians that walked this country with these animals.
I love the detail in the scales and wrinkles. The water and the background scenery draws one in, its background sereneness contrasting with the foreground antagonism.
Judges Comments:
Beautiful use of light and I love the colours on the water, there’s something about this painting that makes me think of the Coorong. An original take on a battle between two apex predators of the Pleistocene that shows the artist’s own unique style without being heavily influenced by the plethora of Thylacoleo reconstructions out there.
Gorgeous. The muting colours evoke a steamy billabong that stretches off forever and the hint of rainbow on Wonambi is a reminder of the First Australians that walked this country with these animals.
I love the detail in the scales and wrinkles. The water and the background scenery draws one in, its background sereneness contrasting with the foreground antagonism.
Brian Choo- Harajica Biter
We're in an inland river during the Middle Devonian (ca. 383 million years ago) in what will become central Australia. "Harajica Biter", a 50cm long predatory tetrapodomorph, patrols his territory. He cruises over a pair of foraging Bothriolepis who a largely unconcerned, thanks to their armour-plated bodies.
Judges Comments:
Another fantastic reconstruction from Brian. The depth of field gives it an almost 3D effect and Harajica pops off the page. A convincing scene with great light and colours. The viewer almost feels as though they’re right there in the ancient river and there’s a glint in Harajica’s eye suggesting it’s wondering what a human is doing in its domain too.
This is an evocative and realistic painting of an extinct animal in a convincing Devonian scene. One literally feels suspended in the water. The light and colours are beautiful.
Judges Comments:
Another fantastic reconstruction from Brian. The depth of field gives it an almost 3D effect and Harajica pops off the page. A convincing scene with great light and colours. The viewer almost feels as though they’re right there in the ancient river and there’s a glint in Harajica’s eye suggesting it’s wondering what a human is doing in its domain too.
This is an evocative and realistic painting of an extinct animal in a convincing Devonian scene. One literally feels suspended in the water. The light and colours are beautiful.
Shannon Gillespie- Diprotodon Teeth
Diprotodon optatum maxilla fragment, Malkuni Waterhole, Cooper Creek, Upper Pleistocene
Judges Comments:
This is a really nice drawing of a fossil. It is proportionally and scientifically dead accurate, and even subtle morphological nuances have been depicted faithfully. It shows a really careful eye for detail. I love that I can glance at the specimen number and instantly recognise the handwriting. I also love the patchwork of blank canvas that compose the bone surface, and how the eye is drawn into the abrasions and cavities of the broken areas, which evoke landscapes or even caves.
Judges Comments:
This is a really nice drawing of a fossil. It is proportionally and scientifically dead accurate, and even subtle morphological nuances have been depicted faithfully. It shows a really careful eye for detail. I love that I can glance at the specimen number and instantly recognise the handwriting. I also love the patchwork of blank canvas that compose the bone surface, and how the eye is drawn into the abrasions and cavities of the broken areas, which evoke landscapes or even caves.
Alison Worsnop- Fish
Judges Comments:
The texture and light of Alison’s two works give them a magical air. They are beautiful pieces. The fish piece conveys the impression of animals inhabiting an ethereal realm halfway between the living and fossil worlds.
The texture and light of Alison’s two works give them a magical air. They are beautiful pieces. The fish piece conveys the impression of animals inhabiting an ethereal realm halfway between the living and fossil worlds.
Hayley Mare- The Forest Would't Exist
Australia Fungi
Judges Comments:
Big, bold colours! A great collection of the various shapes exhibited by a truly weird group of organisms.
Bold use of bright colours and large shapes – and who doesn’t love fungi?
Judges Comments:
Big, bold colours! A great collection of the various shapes exhibited by a truly weird group of organisms.
Bold use of bright colours and large shapes – and who doesn’t love fungi?
Nathan Brown- Theropod and Prey
Judges Comments:
The thing I like most about this story of impending doom is the expression on the little ornithopod’s face who’s just been startled out of a “paint me like one of your French girls” pose. Heaps of character!
Someone isn’t getting out of this encounter alive. Great capture of movement and action.
The thing I like most about this story of impending doom is the expression on the little ornithopod’s face who’s just been startled out of a “paint me like one of your French girls” pose. Heaps of character!
Someone isn’t getting out of this encounter alive. Great capture of movement and action.
Tim Morris- Sthenurine Head Reconstructions
Judges Comments:
One of the best things about this collection of illustrations is that it highlights the diversity of head shapes in sthenurine kangaroos. Not many people appreciate how much variability there is within the group that often gets shovelled into one bag under the heading ‘short-faced kangaroos’. Gotta love these derp faces.
I think they among the most realistic sketches of sthenurine heads I’ve ever seen.
The artist has managed to capture differences in morphology between these species with simple and effective lines. A really good study.
One of the best things about this collection of illustrations is that it highlights the diversity of head shapes in sthenurine kangaroos. Not many people appreciate how much variability there is within the group that often gets shovelled into one bag under the heading ‘short-faced kangaroos’. Gotta love these derp faces.
I think they among the most realistic sketches of sthenurine heads I’ve ever seen.
The artist has managed to capture differences in morphology between these species with simple and effective lines. A really good study.
Sheridan Milani- Protemnodon Lower Dentary
Protemnodon, dentary, Lake Callabonna, Upper Pleistocene
Judges Comments:
A very good illustration that faithfully reproduces the specimen. From this I deduce weathering stage 1 and a couple of “discovery marks”.
One glance and I can instantly identify exactly what species this jaw belongs to, and the specimen’s taphonomic history. It’s a really nice piece of work.
Judges Comments:
A very good illustration that faithfully reproduces the specimen. From this I deduce weathering stage 1 and a couple of “discovery marks”.
One glance and I can instantly identify exactly what species this jaw belongs to, and the specimen’s taphonomic history. It’s a really nice piece of work.
Danielle Renfrey- Dragonfly
Odonata can be traced back to the Giant Dragonfly (Medaneuropsis permiana) of the paleozoic era, whose wings spanned ~71-75 cm and body length was ~37-43 cm long, making it the largest known species of insect (Beutel 2013; Okajima 2008). In the mid-Devonian period the increasing global oxygen caused vertebrate respiratory systems to improve, allowing flying vertebrates to become formidable predators and competitors to the flying insects, and through coevolution the size of flying insects became more limited (Okajima 2008).
Judges Comments:
This is an exquisite rendering with exceptional attention to detail. I particularly like the inclusion of the closeup demonstrating how the colours differ between the living and dead animal.
Stunning piece of work. There’s a hint of art-deco in here, but I can’t quite put my finger on why.
Judges Comments:
This is an exquisite rendering with exceptional attention to detail. I particularly like the inclusion of the closeup demonstrating how the colours differ between the living and dead animal.
Stunning piece of work. There’s a hint of art-deco in here, but I can’t quite put my finger on why.
Joshua Bland- M. ferragus
Macropus cf. ferragus, distal humerus, Malkuni Waterhole, Cooper Creek, Upper Pleistocene
Judges Comments:
As someone who works on a lot of fragmentary postcranial material the details of this piece really speak to me. It’s such a layered story- the fractures tell us something about what happened to the animal near it’s death, the weathering of the surface tells of years spent lying, baking in the sun and the fungal hyphae marks then tell of gradual burial in the soil.
Fabulous and honest rendition of a fossil with a complicated taphonomic story.
Judges Comments:
As someone who works on a lot of fragmentary postcranial material the details of this piece really speak to me. It’s such a layered story- the fractures tell us something about what happened to the animal near it’s death, the weathering of the surface tells of years spent lying, baking in the sun and the fungal hyphae marks then tell of gradual burial in the soil.
Fabulous and honest rendition of a fossil with a complicated taphonomic story.
Fraser Brown- Genyornis newtoni
Genyornis newtoni distal tarsometatarsus fossil, Lake Callabonna, Upper Pleistocene
Judges Comments:
Excellent illustration of the tarsometatarsus of an iconic Australian megafaunal animal. This is a good reminder that the fossils we find out in the field are often fragmentary in nature but also that the details on the bone surface tell a story of what has happened between the animal dying and the bone being unearthed by palaeontologists.
Fabulous scientific illustration. Looks like I could pick it up right off the page.
Judges Comments:
Excellent illustration of the tarsometatarsus of an iconic Australian megafaunal animal. This is a good reminder that the fossils we find out in the field are often fragmentary in nature but also that the details on the bone surface tell a story of what has happened between the animal dying and the bone being unearthed by palaeontologists.
Fabulous scientific illustration. Looks like I could pick it up right off the page.
3D Models
Shannon Gillespie- Thylacoleo carnifex
Sculpture of Thylacoleo carnifex
Judges comments:
There’s something about the proportions that suggests a young Thylacoleo, coming home from a long and exhausting practice hunt. He’s adorable yet still has that slightly menacing predatory feel. A well-executed sculpture with a lot of attitude!
Judges comments:
There’s something about the proportions that suggests a young Thylacoleo, coming home from a long and exhausting practice hunt. He’s adorable yet still has that slightly menacing predatory feel. A well-executed sculpture with a lot of attitude!
Shannon Gillespie- Thylacoleo carnifex
Sculpture of Thylacoleo carnifex
Judges comments:
There’s something about the proportions that suggests a young Thylacoleo, coming home from a long and exhausting practice hunt. He’s adorable yet still has that slightly menacing predatory feel. A well-executed sculpture with a lot of attitude!
Judges comments:
There’s something about the proportions that suggests a young Thylacoleo, coming home from a long and exhausting practice hunt. He’s adorable yet still has that slightly menacing predatory feel. A well-executed sculpture with a lot of attitude!
Shannon Gillespie- Thylacoleo carnifex
Sculpture of Thylacoleo carnifex
Judges comments:
There’s something about the proportions that suggests a young Thylacoleo, coming home from a long and exhausting practice hunt. He’s adorable yet still has that slightly menacing predatory feel. A well-executed sculpture with a lot of attitude!
Judges comments:
There’s something about the proportions that suggests a young Thylacoleo, coming home from a long and exhausting practice hunt. He’s adorable yet still has that slightly menacing predatory feel. A well-executed sculpture with a lot of attitude!
Shannon Gillespie- Thylacoleo carnifex
Sculpture of Thylacoleo carnifex
Judges comments:
There’s something about the proportions that suggests a young Thylacoleo, coming home from a long and exhausting practice hunt. He’s adorable yet still has that slightly menacing predatory feel. A well-executed sculpture with a lot of attitude!
Judges comments:
There’s something about the proportions that suggests a young Thylacoleo, coming home from a long and exhausting practice hunt. He’s adorable yet still has that slightly menacing predatory feel. A well-executed sculpture with a lot of attitude!
Carey Burke- A Slice of Time
30 Million years ago, Southern Australia- An unnamed shark cruises lazily across the reef, surveying the nooks and crannies for tasty morsels…
This scene was constructed using a block of Eocene aged fossiliferous limestone collected from Henschkes’ Quarry during the 2020 Vertebrate Palaeontology field trip. It recreates a hypothetical moment during the deposition of the stone itself. The shark has no opinion either way.
Judges Comments:
This is a great little diorama. I particularly like the use of the fossiliferous limestone, bridging the gap between a “living” reef and the skeletons of marine organisms long dead. Suggested shark names include Tabbit’her, Thing That Should Not Be and Garry.
Clever piece of resin-work. Using the Henschke’s Quarry limestone was genius. The million-dollar question – can it be used to open stubbies?
This scene was constructed using a block of Eocene aged fossiliferous limestone collected from Henschkes’ Quarry during the 2020 Vertebrate Palaeontology field trip. It recreates a hypothetical moment during the deposition of the stone itself. The shark has no opinion either way.
Judges Comments:
This is a great little diorama. I particularly like the use of the fossiliferous limestone, bridging the gap between a “living” reef and the skeletons of marine organisms long dead. Suggested shark names include Tabbit’her, Thing That Should Not Be and Garry.
Clever piece of resin-work. Using the Henschke’s Quarry limestone was genius. The million-dollar question – can it be used to open stubbies?
Carey Burke- A Slice of Time
30 Million years ago, Southern Australia- An unnamed shark cruises lazily across the reef, surveying the nooks and crannies for tasty morsels…
This scene was constructed using a block of Eocene aged fossiliferous limestone collected from Henschkes’ Quarry during the 2020 Vertebrate Palaeontology field trip. It recreates a hypothetical moment during the deposition of the stone itself. The shark has no opinion either way.
Judges Comments:
This is a great little diorama. I particularly like the use of the fossiliferous limestone, bridging the gap between a “living” reef and the skeletons of marine organisms long dead. Suggested shark names include Tabbit’her, Thing That Should Not Be and Garry.
Clever piece of resin-work. Using the Henschke’s Quarry limestone was genius. The million-dollar question – can it be used to open stubbies?
This scene was constructed using a block of Eocene aged fossiliferous limestone collected from Henschkes’ Quarry during the 2020 Vertebrate Palaeontology field trip. It recreates a hypothetical moment during the deposition of the stone itself. The shark has no opinion either way.
Judges Comments:
This is a great little diorama. I particularly like the use of the fossiliferous limestone, bridging the gap between a “living” reef and the skeletons of marine organisms long dead. Suggested shark names include Tabbit’her, Thing That Should Not Be and Garry.
Clever piece of resin-work. Using the Henschke’s Quarry limestone was genius. The million-dollar question – can it be used to open stubbies?
Carey Burke- A Slice of Time
30 Million years ago, Southern Australia- An unnamed shark cruises lazily across the reef, surveying the nooks and crannies for tasty morsels…
This scene was constructed using a block of Eocene aged fossiliferous limestone collected from Henschkes’ Quarry during the 2020 Vertebrate Palaeontology field trip. It recreates a hypothetical moment during the deposition of the stone itself. The shark has no opinion either way.
Judges Comments:
This is a great little diorama. I particularly like the use of the fossiliferous limestone, bridging the gap between a “living” reef and the skeletons of marine organisms long dead. Suggested shark names include Tabbit’her, Thing That Should Not Be and Garry.
Clever piece of resin-work. Using the Henschke’s Quarry limestone was genius. The million-dollar question – can it be used to open stubbies?
This scene was constructed using a block of Eocene aged fossiliferous limestone collected from Henschkes’ Quarry during the 2020 Vertebrate Palaeontology field trip. It recreates a hypothetical moment during the deposition of the stone itself. The shark has no opinion either way.
Judges Comments:
This is a great little diorama. I particularly like the use of the fossiliferous limestone, bridging the gap between a “living” reef and the skeletons of marine organisms long dead. Suggested shark names include Tabbit’her, Thing That Should Not Be and Garry.
Clever piece of resin-work. Using the Henschke’s Quarry limestone was genius. The million-dollar question – can it be used to open stubbies?
Nimue Gibbs- Varanus priscus
I only got to finish the head 😂 I made this with no pattern, so of course it’s gonna take me more than a couple of weeks. But I think she looks cute.
Judges Comments:
What a cute little Meghead! There’s definitely a hole in the market waiting for crocheted Aussie megafauna.
A smiling assassin. Cute as, look forward to seeing the finished piece.
Judges Comments:
What a cute little Meghead! There’s definitely a hole in the market waiting for crocheted Aussie megafauna.
A smiling assassin. Cute as, look forward to seeing the finished piece.
Nimue Gibbs- Varanus priscus
I only got to finish the head 😂 I made this with no pattern, so of course it’s gonna take me more than a couple of weeks. But I think she looks cute.
Judges Comments:
What a cute little Meghead! There’s definitely a hole in the market waiting for crocheted Aussie megafauna.
A smiling assassin. Cute as, look forward to seeing the finished piece.
Judges Comments:
What a cute little Meghead! There’s definitely a hole in the market waiting for crocheted Aussie megafauna.
A smiling assassin. Cute as, look forward to seeing the finished piece.
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