Fossils On The Brain

Hello again, my Fossil Friends 👋

I recently posted some AI generated reimaginings of some of my photographs. This (obviously) upset some people, as is the style of the day, but I wanted to specifically address some concerns about the use of AI.

Mainly the fact that it's taking away the creative side of art, by making it accessible to the masses.

First: gatekeep much?

Second: I have zero issues with living in a word with MORE art in it. Absolute zero at all.

Third: Another concern was AIs "hallucinations". Definitely alarming if you're the kind of person who blindly trusts whatever they read on the internet, for sure!! I wouldn't trust AI to blindly teach me ANYTHING, but I have no issue with using it as a research assistant. Just keep in mind, any tool is only as useful as the person holding it, and the knowledge that a real life fact check and editing session still lies ahead.

And finally: Just because someone chooses to use AI to achieve a goal, doesn't mean that they are incapable of achieving it without AI's assistance. Maybe they are a single parent, disabled, or have limited free time, but still want to make beautiful art ♥️

Thank you for your time, and in gratitude I leave for you, an Easter Egg hunt!! 😁

Enjoy 😉

Greetings, my Fossil Friends 👋

Todays adventure was a fantastic fieldtrip with the Victoria Paleontological Society, led by yours truly, and very well attended, with 12 citizens scientists in total 🧐

We explored a beach site in Maple Bay; a portion of the Haslam Formation at the base of Mt.Tzouhalem, in an incredibly geologically interesting area. The fieldtrip got temporarily derailed earlier on, by the sheer strangeness of the geological book under out feet, but after a flurry of photo and note taking, we were soon back on task. 📖👣

Finds of the day included multiple chunks of heteromorph ammonites as well as some interesting patches of Sphenoceramus orientalis bivalves. The real prize of the day, however, was an unbelievable Eupachydiscus ammonite, found while breaking chunks of beach rock! 🪨 🔨

Additionally, an interesting piece of crinoid tip was also discovered, initially misidentified by me as a piece of echinoid, but later corrected under further scrutiny 🔬

An excellent day, despite the light drizzle, and fantastic field conditions for an outing! ☁️

Pure Pacific North West Gold!! 💛

Upper Cretaceous (Santonian), Haslam formation, Maple Bay, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

Off on another adventure! Today I'm leading the Victoria Paleontological Society fieldtrip at Maple Bay Beach! 🥳

These are just a few "imaginings" while I wait for the others to arrive :)

Stay tuned...😁

🤖 AI was used here as a brush, not the artist—serving simply as a tool of clarification to ensure the smoothest possible connection between the author and the audience.

Greetings, my Fossil Friends 👋

Id like to present....The Haslam Formation!! ♥️

The fun parts over, the collecting, labeling, cataloging, now on the the next fun part...the compiling! 😁

I'm not certain of the exact number of samples, but they have been collected over the past 2 years, from 7 distinct locations around the Cowichan Valley. It should be a fairly complete picture of the Upper Cretaceous Haslam Formation of the Cowichan Valley! 😃

The work continues....😉

Upper Cretaceous, Haslam formation, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, BC 🇨🇦

Hi there, my Fossil Friends 👋

I found this amazing fossil last year, in a concretion from the Chemainus River. It was an absolutely perfect, one in a million split, and this gorgeous Damesites damesi was located as you see it.

There are also 4 other fossils present, a piece of monocot leaf in the top (possibly an eel grass type of plant), a Sphenoceramus orientalis bivale to the right, a bit of wood just below that, and a coil of heteromorph ammonite, likely Glyptoxoceras subcompressum, at the 9 o'clock position.

I prepped this piece over a couple of days, although, the actual prep work was fairly minimal. The side of the Damesites visible was actual in the matrix, and I had to remove all the excess material, but it all came off incredibly easily. 10/10 most enjoyable prep ever! 😁

Damesites damesi from the Upper Cretaceous (Santonian), Haslam formation, Chemainus River, Vancouver Island, BC 🇨🇦

Greetings, my Fossil Friends 👋

If you’ve been following my work, you know my usual style. But today marks the beginning of a completely new creative period for me.

I’m breaking away from the norm to share Spirit of Sericho—a piece born entirely from raw reclamation, upcycling, and strict conceptual symmetry.

The Story Behind the Evolution:
The shadowbox itself is a repurposed commercial frame that used to act as a rigid, corporate “prison” for a fragment of the mighty Sericho pallasite meteorite. I wanted to break that corporate mold, liberating the space to transform it into an earthly sanctuary.

Inside, I’ve meticulously arranged a symmetrical array of ancient earth fossils—including shark teeth, ammonites, and a central trilobite—salvaged and rescued from youth excavation kits.

By locking these fragments into a harmonious, altar-like geometry, this piece grounds the celestial memory of the meteorite back into the foundations of the Earth. 🌍🦴

This is a huge divergence from my regular style, and it’s just the beginning of where my brain is taking fossils next. I’d love to hear your honest thoughts on this new direction in the comments below!👇

Have a Fossiliferous day! ♥️

🤖 AI was used here as a brush, not the artist—serving simply as a tool of clarification to ensure the smoothest possible connection between the author and the audience.

Greetings, my Fossil Friends 👋

On todays adventure, my son and I joined some new friends on some old stomping grounds. They learned a lot and I talked A LOT!

There's no better way to see something you love than through someone else's eyes ♾️⚡️♥️🙏

...and we're off!! If you need me, you know where I'll be ;)

♾️⚡️♥️