James Gurney
Will and Bix 1992

An engineer by trade, James Gurney's father often spent evenings inventing things in his workshop, and encouraged his son to join in. Each new invention began with a drawing that brought new ideas to life. "My father always told me that anything is possible in a drawing and that everything begins with a drawing," from a car to a concept for a book.

Fast friends on the island of Dinotopia, Will and Bix are among James Gurney's primary story characters. A parrot-beaked Protoceratops, Bix acts as a translator and speaks a wide range of languages. In reality, though, she would not have been equipped for speech. Scientists have few clues as to what kinds of sounds dinosaurs made.

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

Link to image of plaque at Norman Rockwell Museum