Mr. Blue Sky, Please Tell Us Why - Submitted By Fieldofthedreaming

Wetlands

Monolith

uh

somehow they glitched into the hatchery after release, and once I tranquilized it this happened??

The creature who fell in love with the light

[Watercolor and gouache, based on ‘The Fog Horn’ by Ray Bradbury]

Passing giant

The herd rests

And here now the result of the Toolebuc formation #paleostream! This formation is the center of pterosaur diversity in Australia and after long back and fourth I decided to show a calm bay, with migrating protostegids being ambushed by a Kronosaurus.

Important note: this does not represent the depositional environment of this formation. The fossils were preserved in poor oxygenated waters with tons of specialized Inoceramus living on the substrate. However that doesn't really lend itself to an interesting composition.

As you can see in this size chart by B_Wither (modified by @petitepaleoartist and myself) the Toolebuc formation offers a host of predatory fish and marine reptiles. Interestingly ichthyosaurs and protostegids appear to be more common compared to older, colder formations.

Btw. the giant shark is present here as well, indirectly ;)

We are approaching the maximum of images you can post here so I thought it was time I make a little showcase of all the formation pieces we covered so far on the streams.

For people who don't know: for several months now I draw one formation or fossil locality every Saturday. The next place we visit is chosen by a wheel of names, which we also constantly fill up again when a new formation is picked.

I try to make it as interesting as possible in my composition and choice of animals and I can tell you this series has been a great training when it comes to constructing these, how I call them, Menageries.

I have to thank a team of friends and colleagues who help behind the scenes with research, creation of size charts and conversation partners when it comes to deciding on the compositions of these pieces. Their help has been invaluable!

Mountains

Watchtower