Artwork Mondays: Flying Trilobites Abound

Is there something deep within the human brain that feels the need to put wings on animals that could never fly? Extinct, aquatic, many-limbed animals that could never fly?

Here's an image of a fence adorned with a series of prehistoric creatures. Take a look at the winged trilobite there. I took this photo on the Toronto Islands earlier this summer, on Ward's Island. If anyone knows who the artist was, I'd love it if you could comment below. There was no plaque as far as I could see, and there should be. (And that bird is sitting on top, looking so smug.)

Here's a birthday present to me from the talented Craig Dylke, and his good friend Traumador the Tyrannosaur. Craig is the talented artist and force of nature behind Prehistoric Insanity and Weapon of Mass Imagination. Traumador's exploits can be seen at The Tyrannosaur Chronicles. Oh, and this picture disturbs me. I envision them swooping down and stealing Albertan cattle.

My 7-year old nephew, formerly identified 'round these parts as Obi-Wan, but who now goes by Dr. Jones, drew a few of these for me. He also rolled his eyes and asked why I like trilobites so much.
Which is a great question. The short answer was that they have the first eyes we know of in the fossil record. So right there should mean that every visual artist should take them up as our symbol, our banner. Like, tomorrow. They were incredibly successful organisms, their legacy spanning millions of years, compared to the short span of hominids so far.

For me, flying trilobites have been a part of my artwork for years, and discovering Girl Genius was something of a shock, so soon after I made my online debut last year. But it's cool. I exchanged a couple of emails with the Foglios and they've been kind enough to link to me. Non-overlapping magisteria between their Gaslamp Fantasy and my Art in Awe of Science.

This fine specimen...
...is one of my favourites, obviously from the blog banner above (and available as card, print and canvas print in the store, as well). Painting on shale is terrific, although very hard on brushes. It began when my wonderful wife brought home some shale roof tiles that had been blown off a roof in the Annex area of Toronto. She also puts micron brushes in my stocking at Christmas.

More fun with trilobites and links, here! Cookies! Kites! Molecules!

- -
All original artwork on The Flying Trilobite Copyright to Glendon Mellow. The contents of this blog are under a Creative Commons Licence. See sidebar for details. Please visit my blog, gallery and reproduction store. Some guest artwork featured in this post, and attributed above.