Comments on: Dinotopia artist James Gurney on exhibit at New Hampshire Institute of Art http://boingboing.net/2013/03/04/dinotopia-artist-james-gurney.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 23 May 2013 01:26:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: curiositykt http://boingboing.net/2013/03/04/dinotopia-artist-james-gurney.html#comment-1673081 curiositykt Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:58:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=216606#comment-1673081 Since the website doesn't say the hours, I called and here's what I've got: The gallery will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday and noon-4 p.m. Saturday Since the website doesn’t say the hours, I called and here’s what I’ve got:

The gallery will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday and noon-4 p.m. Saturday

]]> By: Rick Sarvas http://boingboing.net/2013/03/04/dinotopia-artist-james-gurney.html#comment-1671603 Rick Sarvas Wed, 06 Mar 2013 02:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=216606#comment-1671603 I saw this exhibit at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in CT back in January - this is worth a visit even if you don't have kids. I loved seeing the original artwork of the books along with the reference models used for some of the scenes. A few older National Geographic drawings are also exhibited.  I saw this exhibit at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in CT back in January – this is worth a visit even if you don’t have kids. I loved seeing the original artwork of the books along with the reference models used for some of the scenes. A few older National Geographic drawings are also exhibited. 

]]> By: xkot http://boingboing.net/2013/03/04/dinotopia-artist-james-gurney.html#comment-1671220 xkot Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=216606#comment-1671220 I met James Gurney at a book signing back in the '90s when the second Dinotopia book came out. I've never met a more approachable and gracious professional, before or since. He even gave me his business card and wrote his home phone number on it! I find his art to be pretty close to perfection. It has a plein air looseness and love of light, mixed with a researcher's eye for detail (he's done work for National Geographic). I regret that there are those who can't appreciate Dinotopia's blend of realism and whimsy. The books deftly combine imagination, gentle philosophy and awesome looking dinosaurs! Far more engaging than the TV production based on them. I met James Gurney at a book signing back in the ’90s when the second Dinotopia book came out. I’ve never met a more approachable and gracious professional, before or since. He even gave me his business card and wrote his home phone number on it!

I find his art to be pretty close to perfection. It has a plein air looseness and love of light, mixed with a researcher’s eye for detail (he’s done work for National Geographic). I regret that there are those who can’t appreciate Dinotopia’s blend of realism and whimsy. The books deftly combine imagination, gentle philosophy and awesome looking dinosaurs! Far more engaging than the TV production based on them.

]]> By: AnthonyC http://boingboing.net/2013/03/04/dinotopia-artist-james-gurney.html#comment-1671187 AnthonyC Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=216606#comment-1671187 If you presume wizards, then it becomes perfectly fine to have them summon dinosaurs to ride. It's all in the order of operations :) If you presume wizards, then it becomes perfectly fine to have them summon dinosaurs to ride. It’s all in the order of operations :)

]]> By: Rich Keller http://boingboing.net/2013/03/04/dinotopia-artist-james-gurney.html#comment-1671177 Rich Keller Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=216606#comment-1671177 I have a copy of Dinotopia and I liked the TV version, too. The book reminds me of a late ninteenth century Lost Continent type Jules Verne story rendered in the art aesthetic of that time. The  costumes in his figures reminded me so much of Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Sometimes I look at Alma-Tadema images and half expect to see oviraptors in the corners. And James Gurney's blog is great. I learn something new every time I go there. I have a copy of Dinotopia and I liked the TV version, too. The book reminds me of a late ninteenth century Lost Continent type Jules Verne story rendered in the art aesthetic of that time. The  costumes in his figures reminded me so much of Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Sometimes I look at Alma-Tadema images and half expect to see oviraptors in the corners.

And James Gurney’s blog is great. I learn something new every time I go there.

]]> By: flappy http://boingboing.net/2013/03/04/dinotopia-artist-james-gurney.html#comment-1671023 flappy Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:23:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=216606#comment-1671023 My kids liked those books and dont even mind the tv-movie that resulted. This show was here at the the Delaware Art Museum a few years ago. His style meshed quite nicely with the DAM's strengths; the Pre-Raphealites and the Brandywine school of illustrators. He's old-school also in that he keeps a studio full of props, costumes and found objects, uses friends and neighbors as models, does a lot of research, builds architectural maquettes and then finally just draws the world around him to create a different world. We caught a great presentation by Mr. Gurney that focused on drawing, not science or fantasy or dinosaurs, just drawing.  Those interested in the subject could check out his blog: http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com WARNING: contains no snarky judgements. My kids liked those books and dont even mind the tv-movie that resulted.
This show was here at the the Delaware Art Museum a few years ago. His style meshed quite nicely with the DAM’s strengths; the Pre-Raphealites and the Brandywine school of illustrators. He’s old-school also in that he keeps a studio full of props, costumes and found objects, uses friends and neighbors as models, does a lot of research, builds architectural maquettes and then finally just draws the world around him to create a different world. We caught a great presentation by Mr. Gurney that focused on drawing, not science or fantasy or dinosaurs, just drawing. 
Those interested in the subject could check out his blog:
http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com
WARNING: contains no snarky judgements.

]]> By: aperturehead http://boingboing.net/2013/03/04/dinotopia-artist-james-gurney.html#comment-1670984 aperturehead Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:30:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=216606#comment-1670984 There is something similar to this at the Creation Museum - it's Jesus Christ riding a pterodactyl - and Jesus is holding a copy of the new Bill O'Reilly book about Lincoln There is something similar to this at the Creation Museum – it’s Jesus Christ riding a pterodactyl – and Jesus is holding a copy of the new Bill O’Reilly book about Lincoln

]]> By: aperturehead http://boingboing.net/2013/03/04/dinotopia-artist-james-gurney.html#comment-1670973 aperturehead Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=216606#comment-1670973 I have a friend who's a top notch biologist and dinosaur "expert" and for a while in the early 90s he was hired on by a company called DINAMATION whose initial intent was to bring the realistic and scientifically-based world of dinosaurs to life via small museum exhibits and traveling educational shows...my friend tried to keep things real on the bio and structural side of DINAMATION's 3-D, moving dinosaur animatronic creations, which could be seen in various US museums for a while After a couple of years, when the company figured out they weren't making enough money, they asked my friend if it was historically accurate to place animatronic HUMANS next to the animatronic dinosaurs - "no, not really" - but they went ahead anyway and made animatronic people riding animatronic dinosaurs - a few months after that, DINAMATION was considering adding odd things like wizards and magicians and fantastical, theatrical sets to the dinosaur mix. By that point, my friend had resigned in disgust. He loved and studied dinosaurs all his life and here were mere businessmen twisting and warping the reality of dinosaurs to scrape some dollars together. These DINOTOPIA books are on the cheesy side. I have a friend who’s a top notch biologist and dinosaur “expert” and for a while in the early 90s he was hired on by a company called DINAMATION whose initial intent was to bring the realistic and scientifically-based world of dinosaurs to life via small museum exhibits and traveling educational shows…my friend tried to keep things real on the bio and structural side of DINAMATION’s 3-D, moving dinosaur animatronic creations, which could be seen in various US museums for a while

After a couple of years, when the company figured out they weren’t making enough money, they asked my friend if it was historically accurate to place animatronic HUMANS next to the animatronic dinosaurs – “no, not really” – but they went ahead anyway and made animatronic people riding animatronic dinosaurs – a few months after that, DINAMATION was considering adding odd things like wizards and magicians and fantastical, theatrical sets to the dinosaur mix. By that point, my friend had resigned in disgust. He loved and studied dinosaurs all his life and here were mere businessmen twisting and warping the reality of dinosaurs to scrape some dollars together. These DINOTOPIA books are on the cheesy side.

]]> By: Chuck Mathias http://boingboing.net/2013/03/04/dinotopia-artist-james-gurney.html#comment-1670933 Chuck Mathias Tue, 05 Mar 2013 06:30:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=216606#comment-1670933 Wow! Rudolph Franz Zallinger meets Maxfield Parrish!  Where was this guy when I was eight years old?! Wow! Rudolph Franz Zallinger meets Maxfield Parrish!  Where was this guy when I was eight years old?!

]]> By: Green Ghost http://boingboing.net/2013/03/04/dinotopia-artist-james-gurney.html#comment-1670874 Green Ghost Tue, 05 Mar 2013 03:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=216606#comment-1670874 Dinotopia? Oh, I thought it was something from the Creation Museum. Dinotopia? Oh, I thought it was something from the Creation Museum.

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