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Some were clearly made by bowerslackers in need of a good dressing down. This ain't the rehearsal, son.

Thanks Becky! I've sent you a message.

I've spent far too long agonising over this.

Thanks for your comment. I am normally on board with alt-text, but there's none here because I need to know how people see and interpret this image.

Seeking feedback on this image of Neanderthals chatting. Any comments or feedback on their appearance or expressions, positive or negative?

The link to registration is now live: www.geocollections.org/events/199-s... Some important notes: 1) It's a >>free<< conference! 2) Part of the day will be devoted to discussing the future of SVPCA. 3) Space is limited, and time definitely is, so register early to avoid disappointment!

Laying out my #DinoCon #paleoart display to check everything looks OK... I seem to have printed an illustrated essay. Bring your reading glasses, folks.

Am happy to say that #SVPCA 2026 >is< happening: a one-day event, 10th September, at the Uni. of Southampton. Registration opens very soon so, if you're on the SVPCA mailing list or FB group, expect details imminently. I'll post links etc. here too. For now, here's the shiny new conference logo...

By criminy, it looks like I've got another book to proofread.

A book that can be enjoyed on all levels!

Protoceratops hellenikorhinus sits on a dune on another warm #FossilFriday, wondering when the heat will end. At least it looks cool with those snazzy low horns. #Paleoart from 2016 (one of my better pieces from that period, I think).

My sister did the same thing when she recorded over the original King Kong with an episode of The New Adventures of Superman. The only section left was Kong being gunned down and falling to his doom from atop the Empire State Building. I'm still sore about it.

That series was my introduction to them too. I had the first two episodes on VHS and watched them over and over.

Hollow Iguanodon large enough to fit dining tables are rarer than you might think.

We wondered if we'd see you there! We should organise some sort of trip with all of us palaeoart nerds while they are in their prime.

When the two-tone nature of the paint schemes was revealed and we did tests on site with the pale inter-scale regions and darker scales, there was a collective "oh yeah, _that's_ what they were doing..." among the team. All that detail was meant to pop, we've been hiding it all this time.

...through her work it emerged that Hawkins maintained some colour schemes across his palaeoart: in the 1870s he used the same colours he did in the 1850s. So when we had no paint data, we used his other art for reference. So, hello blue ichthyosaurs, countershaded plesiosaurs, purple mosasaurs...

There have been some... interesting colour choices in the past, but they were probably based on whatever someone felt at the time, not historic data. We had an amazing paint analyst on the team (Karen Morissey) who found out so much new stuff (orange and purple Labyrinthodon!) and...

(Addendum: the sculptures were being illuminated as we left. Sadly @gizz47.bsky.social and I had to bail before the effect was fully realised, but @bobnichollsart.bsky.social's Palaeotherium magnum had already attained a fetching shade of red, and **relocated!!** Xiphodon was a cool magenta.)

The fantastic news is that the dinosaurs are no longer considered "at risk" by Historic England. More work lies ahead in getting the Geological Court resembling its original state, but this is an important milestone in the Dinosaurs' history. Congrats to all involved, we've done good.