I was finally able to get the Raptors – Clever Girl, Brison & Xavier to hold still for some additional painting. I took this opportunity to add an extra coat of paint to the Claws, Teeth & Tongues for All. Brison & Xavier received Pupils for their Eyes in Hammered Black gloss. Hammered Grey provided shading for inside all of their nostrils. Brison has a little blood on one of his teeth. What was He Eating? A little blending to the Deep Green meets Metallic Gold Rush for Brison & Xavier and it will be time to finish with a Clear Coat.
I added feather accents to Clever Girl in Sunburst Yellow and Real Orange. While we like the color additions, we are not happy with the current execution. Therefore, a paint over of these recent accents with a new design coming soon. I have a better idea in mind. I’m sure Clever Girl will like it. Practice Makes Perfect!
In my area high winds can be an issue. Without the proper securing the Prehistoric Pals could be in for a Tumble Off their Perch! I’ve come up with a few ways to prevent that from happening. Using Cables has worked well for the Larger Dinosaurs. A 12 inch long screw eye is sunk in concrete. A cable is wrap through providing a double strap hold down. Clamps are used to make loops at each end, which are held together by a lock.
However, with extreme high winds the Dinosaurs still slide around on their base. Therefore, Sandbags were added. Hopefully crisscrossing the cables will eliminate the need for Sandbags in the future. Otherwise I will need to come up with a creative cover for them. Sandbags are great when you haven’t decided on the exact spot for Your Prehistoric Pal. The downside is the bags do rot requiring replacement frequently.
With some large trees dying, I have incorporated large pieces of the trunks into the landscape. They provide natural looking seating areas and wonderful perches for the Raptors & small carnivores. Again, I don’t want any unscheduled flights off their perch, so I needed to secure them. Bungie cables with a screw in the base of the stumps provided a temporary fix. To increase the life of the bungie cables, I switch them every other day. I found some flexible hooks and rope made for the outdoors to assist with a more permanent fix. Larger bolts are screwed into the stump base after making a starter hole with a drill. The rope once properly measured and attached to the hooks will crisscross the stumps as the current bungie cables are now. The extra height for the Raptors to perch adds another element of Fun to the Park.
My First Book “Is a Metal Dinosaur the Right Pet for You?” is Available as an eBook on Kindle through Amazon.com!
Included are two photos of Prehistoric Pals converted to black & white line drawings for You to express Your Color Imagination! Search online for print options on Your device. Print Screen, Cropping & Printing are available on many smart phones. Your smart phone may even allow You to email Your Print Screen to Yourself allowing even more options before printing. Kindle has an app for smart phones!
I would love to see Your Color Visions for Dominic & Raphael! Use crayons, pencils, pens, or watercolors! Attach feathers, glitter whatever brings them to life for You. Send a picture of Your Colorized Imaginations to: paul@paulsprehistoricpark.com It could be in a future post!
I will keep You posted with information on my Next eBook “The Shy Triceratops”. I hope to have Paperback versions available later this year.
Check out eLearning options online with Your Local Library & Museums across the Globe!
www.Readingtokids.org has a number of eBooks and YouTube videos with Authors Reading their Books. Craft ideas are demonstrated online as well! The Zoom Reading to Kids Events have been a Great Success. We All look Forward to when We can Safely resume the In-Person Events.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County www.nhm.org under Research & Collections / Digitized Collections will allow you to browse their Collections. Their Zoom Meeting in the Butterfly Pavilion was Great! Check out the latest Activities on their site.
The American Natural History Museum www.amnh.org You will find eLearning for Families, Students & Educators. Explore the Museum Virtually. Check Out SciCafe: Video Talks and Meet the Icons: Stories behind the Exhibits! Of Course, I’m checking out Tyrannosaurus Rex. There are Video Series covering Behind the Scenes at the Museum with Space & Dinosaur Explainers.
Chicago’s Field Museum www.fieldmuseum.org You can talk to “Maximo the Titanosaur” online, Yes Really! Visit Sue the largest T-Rex discovered! Check Out “Brain Scoop” with host Emily Graslie and the Learning Resources – many are also in Spanish.
Consider Memberships with these Museum. In addition to Supporting Their Valuable Work there are Benefits to You.
The Great Courses www.thegreatcourses.com has many DVD and Downloadable Courses for “How to Draw”, “Everyday Urban Sketching”, “Sketching People, Places and Landscapes” that can help you as they have me with drawing and using watercolors. Just remember practice, practice & practice to reach your goal. Check Out Your Library to see if they have these courses available for You online.
Stay Safe & Well.
“Encouraging the Appreciation of Art and Education through the Inspiration of Dinosaurs”
Paul & Prehistoric Pals
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