James and Jeanette Gurney painting at the Higgins Armory. Photo by Greg Shea

Yesterday Jeanette and I joined a group of artist friends to paint at the Higgins Armory in Worcester, Massachusetts, the only museum in America devoted entirely to armor.


I was attracted to this pairing of 16th century German field armor poised for combat. What struck me first was the chiaroscuro: light-on-dark on the left, and dark-on-light on the right.

I also liked the sense of action, and I thought I would develop that idea, imagining the scene taking place with real people outdoors.

I started the painting in watercolor, and finished in casein. It's 5x8 inches and took about five hours. I shot video of the process, so I'll edit that together for a future post.


Our group, from left to right included: Sean Murray, Ken Laager, Jeanette Gurney, Marc Holmes, James Gurney, Greg Shea, Richard Scarpa, Chad Smith, Garin Baker, Joe Salamida (in helmet), John Caggiano.

The Higgins Armory will be welcoming any artists who want to sketch from the collection this Saturday in non-oil media. Although Jeanette and I won't be there, other artists will be gathering. Don't miss seeing the collection before it closes forever at the end of the year. Edit: I have heard that the museum officials have changed their mind and will not be able to allow artists to come on Saturday after all. Sorry for the confusion.

Dinotopia has arrived at the Arkell Museum of Art in Canajoharie, New York. The exhibition of original artwork "Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney" opens today at 1:00.

At 2:30, I'll be in attendance to give a family lecture on the making of Dinotopia, followed by a booksigning.


The exhibition will feature major works from Dinotopia, The World Beneath, and Journey to Chandara, along with maquettes, preliminary sketches, and plein air works that inspired the fantasy world.


To connect Dinotopia to the tradition of imaginative painting, the Arkell will also exhibit J. Georges Vibert's painting of Gulliver on the Island of Lilliput, which is featured in Imaginative Realism. I'll be visiting a local elementary school on Monday to talk dinosaurs.
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More info on the lecture

Last weekend I had the privilege and responsibility of being a prize juror for the Society of Animal Artists' annual exhibition in Bennington, Vermont.

Cindy House, "Flight Over the Dunes in Autumn," 16x20 inches, pastel

In the prizewinning pastel above, the birds were set within a sumptuously textured landscape rendered in pastel.

Guy Coheleach, "Cooling Off," 24x36, oil

The Arkell has a fine permanent collection American art by Winslow Homer, Childe Hassam, Robert Henri, Maurice Prendergast, and Andrew Wyeth, as well as a full-size replica of Rembrandt's Night Watch.
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The Arkell Museum is at 2 Erie Blvd., Canajoharie, NY 13317 Phone (518) 673-2314
"Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney" at the Arkell Museum
Gurney lecture October 27

Tools: Schmincke Watercolor Pocket Set, Caran D'Ache watercolor pencils, Moleskine Watercolor Notebook.

(Direct link to video) CBS News reports that George Lucas will turn his attention next to opening a museum in San Francisco to share his large collection of golden age illustration, comic art, and movie development artwork.
More at Firewire blog
Thanks, Jodie!

New Hampshire Institute of Art opens its Dinotopia exhibition tomorrow, Wednesday, February 20.

The show of over 20 original Dinotopia paintings and drawings will be on view in the Amherst building through March 13.  Paintings include "Dinosaur Parade" (above, frame by Troy Stafford), "Garden of Hope," "Dinosaur Boulevard," "Small Wonder," "Up High," and "Waterfall City."

After the opening I'll give an illustrated lecture about "Worldbuilding: How to Develop a Fantasy Universe." The lecture starts at 6:30 pm and costs $20 to attend. There will be a book signing afterward.

I will also give a lecture on Thursday the 21st at WPI in Worcester, Massachusetts.

John Singer Sargent Watercolors,
"The first major survey of the art of the Pre-Raphaelites to be shown in the United States features some 130 paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and decorative art objects." Concurrently at the NGA there's an exhibition called "Pre-Raphaelites and the Book," an installation that includes "books of poetry by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Morris, wood-engraved illustrations by several Pre-Raphaelite artists, and material related to the Kelmscott Press (established by Morris in 1891)."

Today is the last day to see the Dinotopia exhibition at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, Connecticut. The museum is open until 5:00 pm.

Video: Dinotopia: Art, Science, and Imagination

There's just one week left for the exhibition "Dinotopia: Art, Science, and Imagination" at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, Connecticut. It ends February 2.

Watch the museum video.

(Video link) Here's a video that tells the story of the making of Dinotopia, created for the 20th anniversary edition and the Lyman Allyn exhibition.

The exhibition called "Dinotopia: Art, Science, and Imagination" ends February 2 at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, Connecticut. The show has more than 100 objects: original oil paintings, preliminary sketches, maquettes, and dinosaur fossils.

There's more good news. Another Dinotopia exhibition called "Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney" will have a short run from Wednesday, February 20 through Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at the New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester. That show will include Dinosaur Parade, Garden of Hope, Dinosaur Boulevard and many other classic images.
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The four Dinotopia books mentioned:
Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time, 1992
Dinotopia: The World Beneath, 1995
Dinotopia: First Flight, 1999
Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara, 2007

There's a exhibition of J.C. Leyendecker originals currently at the National Arts Club in New York through January 19th.

"Leyendecker (March 23, 1874 – July 25, 1951) was one of the pre-eminent American illustrators of the early 20th century. He is best known for his poster, book and advertising illustrations, the trade character known as The Arrow Collar Man, and his numerous covers for The Saturday Evening Post." 

Exhibit: J.C. Leyendecker: It's a Man's World 
Book: J.C. Leyendecker: American Imagist