James Gurney
Blacksmith Shop   1992

In the industrial town of Volcaneum, chief craftsman Tok Timbu forges metal implements that are needed by the
residents of Dinotopia. His team of craftsmen includes a powerful Rutiodon, who pumps the bellows that keeps the
fire burning.

James Gurney's studio in New York's Hudson River Valley is filled with model dinosaurs of all kinds, which he
has purchased or sculpted by hand. These provide invaluable reference for his paintings when viewed at different
angles or in different lighting conditions. Friends and family members also act as models for the artist, who follows
many of Norman Rockwell's own techniques for making a picture--from creating a thumbnail sketch to establishing
just the right characters and setting.

Illustration for Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time
Oil on board

Link to image of plaque at Norman Rockwell Museum