Art

Triceratops painted rock: First Friday Art

I created this palm-sized Triceratops painted rock about twenty years ago. Many of us, young and old, love dinosaurs and this one lived in my garden for a while. I painted it with acrylics and covered it with a thin layer of clear finish.

Triceratops’ unique anatomy is apparent in this mounted skeleton at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History. Their name means ‘three-horned face.’ The massive skull has a fringe of bone in the back. The horns and bony fringe may have helped protect this dinosaur from Tyrannosaurus rex, its most common predator. I’ve featured a big T. rex rock and a smaller one in previous posts.

Triceratops mounted skeleton at Los Angeles Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, CA
Source: Allie_Caulfield Derivative: User:MathKnight, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Though they look ferocious, Triceratops were herbivores. This stout dinosaur has been described as sort of a cross between a cow and a rhinoceros. These massive creatures could weigh well over 11,000 pounds.

Models of this and other life-size dinosaurs can be found JuraPark in Baltow, Poland. I’ve seen models at other museums and parks, but have not visited this site. Their Triceratops models look amazing!

Model of dinosaur, JuraPark, Solec Kujawski, Poland
Source: CLI, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Hmmm. After seeing this model, I’m feeling inspired to create a baby Triceratops painted rock. 😀

Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.

First Friday Art (FFA)

SoyBend

Centered in Bend, Oregon, my blog branches out into nature, history, and art-related topics.

Recent Posts

Two Triceratops in black & white: MM

Two Triceratops in black and white at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana.…

1 day ago

As luck would have it: LAPC

As luck would have it, sometimes I see skies painted with bold strokes of orange…

2 days ago

Origami Wall sculptures: Pull Up a Seat & Weekend Coffee Share

These Origami Wall sculptures are on display at the International District/Chinatown light rail station in…

4 days ago

Ear-full of waxwings: Birds of the Week

Last spring, I saw this ear-full of waxwings in my yard. A group of Cedar…

1 week ago

A well-designed garden: LAPC

A well-designed garden considers hardscapes and softscapesin the foreground, middle ground, and background Hardscape waterfalls…

1 week ago

Poem with an artsy mat: First Friday Art

I framed this river poem I wrote with an artsy mat. The green paper contains…

2 weeks ago