6 minute read

Paleoartist finds magic in the past and present

from NatureVolve issue 12: Earth's Natural History

from NatureVolve issue 12: Earth's Natural History, page 41

Brian Murphy’s world of paleoa...

written by Anastasiia Nesterenko

The fascination and love for dinosaurs – ancient reptiles of the past and likely ancestors of modern birds – have been present throughout generations.

Though the paleontologist’s complex job of uncovering and interpreting fossils should never be overlooked, it is the task of scientific illustrators to really bring the worlds of the past back for us. These talented artists erect imagery based on the supporting foundation of scientific discoveries.

Andy Frazer (AKA “Dragon of Wales”), a prominent artist and illustrator, combines inspiration drawn from rugged nature of his Welsh homeland and modern scientific data to build up on this legacy and create bright, memorable creatures of the deep past. In the present interview, he discusses his work in greater detail.

Q & A: Andy Frazer

How has being based in Wales influenced your perspective and your artistic work?

I’m fortunate to live in a part of Wales which is surrounded by wild landscapes and the nature that thrives there. This is by far the greatest influence on my work. Even the imaginary creatures of my “Dragons of Wales’’ project are intimately rooted in, and connected to, their environments. The way in which a landscape can shape a creature’s appearance and behaviour has always been a source of fascination to me and is something that I like to explore in my work.

These influences also apply to my palaeoart pieces, which often portray some kind of interaction or connection between the animal and its environment. Whenever I’m looking for inspiration for these illustrations, I turn to my observations of the natural world here in Wales, with the local buzzards and red kites being especially useful analogues of course. I believe that using extant species as reference (both in terms of appearance and behaviour) really helps to reinforce the perception of dinosaurs as creatures that were as varied, beautiful, complex (and sometimes weird!) as the wildlife of today.

Thank you for sharing a range of your paleoart pieces. What prehistoric creature has been more challenging to produce?

The illustrations shared here show the range of subjects that I have worked on. The portrait pieces have proved especially popular, perhaps because they best capture something of the animal’s character and ‘soul’. This is something that I am always striving for in my work – to depict the living, breathing essence of a species; something beyond just its physical appearance.

I’m also interested in depicting behaviours which are a little outside the usual palaeoart tropes of hunting and killing, such as the Spinosaurus splashing playfully in the water, or a Tarbosaurus briefly captivated by its own reflection. Sometimes extant animals do things with no apparent purpose, seemingly just for fun. I see no reason to think that extinct species wouldn’t have done the same. Hopefully these scenes help to reinforce the idea of dinosaurs as real, complex creatures, rather than monsters.

I’ve recently begun working with hominin subjects, such as Sahelanthropus. These are especially challenging because they are simultaneously very familiar yet also very strange. It’s easy to fall into the trap of making them either too human, or too animalistic. I’m not sure I’ve found the perfect balance yet, but I’m enjoying the challenge! unnoticed, in our modern world. I wanted to create a new kind of Welsh dragon which would be plausible for a modern audience. Making them very small, with an evolutionary backstory, seemed like a logical way to achieve this.

I have also published three dinosaur-themed art books: Novosaurs, inspired by Jack Horner’s “Chickenosaurus” project explores the idea of small domesticated dinosaurs, reverse-engineered from modern birds; Project:Tepui is a Conan Doyleinspired exploration of a lost world in the South American jungle; and OLD ONE is a collection of my palaeoart works.

I’m currently working on a new dragon-themed book, Dragons of Deep Time, portraying the most ancient of dragons - dragons so old that they have become a part of the landscape; creatures of rock and earth. This book, like several of my previous ones, has been crowd-funded, with many of the dragons being commissioned by contributors to the Kickstarter campaign.

How can others find out more about your art, whether it be for getting hold of your books or requesting a commission?

I’m very active on social media - especially Twitter and Instagram where I can be found as @dragonsofwales and I regularly post new work there. I also have a Patreon page, where I offer exclusive content and sketches in return for a small monthly subscription. All my books, along with a selection of prints, are available to buy in my Etsy shop. Links to my Patreon page and shop are included below. I take private commissions and commercial contracts for palaeoart work, and offer a range of options, from simple pencil sketches all the way through to fully rendered digital paintings. I have produced illustrations for several palaeontology papers due to be published in 2023 as well as numerous commercial projects.

I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting opportunities, and anyone who would like to enquire about a commission can contact me via the email address below.

Final thoughts

Paleoart and fantasy are somewhat similar. Both need a solid dose of imagination and unique vision. Still, one should also remember that they need to be grounded in reality to some extent as well.

As Andy Frazer himself demonstrates, you cannot create realistic and correct recreations of extinct animals without understanding existing science and observing modern relatives of the beasts of ancient past. In a similar vein, fantasy requires some grounding in reality to be convincing. This is beautifully shown with the artist’s “Dragons of Wales” series.

The real magic hides around us, in small details we can only observe by returning to the natural world. This way, both types of art bring out the glory of the world around us.

Bio

Andy Frazer is a freelance illustrator, based in southern Wales. After two decades working as a designer in the live events sector, he returned to his lifelong fascination with extinct animals, and this now occupies most of his time through his project “Dragons of Wales.”