Mark Witton: Whisperer of the Paleoarts

 Imagine, if you will, a world where dragons once soared across the sky, giant beasts with wingspans that could rival small airplanes. Now imagine someone not only bringing them back to life with pen and paintbrush but doing so with the precision of a surgeon and the flair of a concept artist for Dune. Welcome to the world of Dr. Mark Witton - paleontologist, artist, author, and the internet’s favorite "Pterosaur Guy".

From Fossils to Fine Art (and a Few Scientific Fisticuffs)

Witton isn’t just sketching dinosaurs for fun (though he is having fun). He’s got the credentials: a PhD in vertebrate paleontology from the University of Portsmouth, where he’s spent the better part of two decades reconstructing the lifestyles, anatomy, and ecological roles of extinct creatures -particularly his true loves: pterosaurs.

Support Mark Witton on Patreon: patreon.com/markwitton

"Quetzalcoatlus lawsoni" - if anyone's wondering - Mark Witton

Witton’s big scientific claim to fame? He helped upend the old “skinny flying lizard” model of pterosaurs. Thanks to his work, the scientific community now sees these creatures as robust, muscular, and likely covered in something akin to fuzz. Yes, fuzzy pterosaurs. Deal with it.

'Large Mesozoic mammal "Didelphodon" a hard-biting, 4-6 kg carnivore that might have been semi-aquatic'

In one of his landmark papers, Witton—alongside colleagues like Darren Naish—provided evidence supporting a “quad launch” takeoff strategy in pterosaurs. That’s right: they vaulted into the air using all four limbs like some sort of biomechanical catapult. (Take that, Jurassic Park.)

Read more in Witton & Habib (2010): “The Extinction of the Pterosaurs: Investigating Their Biomechanics and Ecology.”

Paleoart with Principles (and Puns)

What sets Witton apart in the paleoart arena isn’t just his gorgeous, cinematic reconstructions of prehistoric life. It’s that he’s brutally committed to accuracy. He won’t just slap some scales and spikes on a beast and call it a day—he’ll dive into muscle attachment sites, behavioral ecology, and taphonomy.

In his own words, paleoart should:

Be based on peer-reviewed science,

Use biologically informed extrapolation where fossils go fuzzy,

And depict actual extinct organisms (so… no dragon/unicorn hybrids, sorry).

This philosophy is brilliantly laid out in his guidebook-slash-art-manifesto, The Palaeoartist’s Handbook: Recreating Prehistoric Animals in Art (buy it here)—which is half technical manual, half artistic pep talk, and all heart.

Want to see the results? Browse Witton’s full gallery here: markwitton.co.uk/palaeoart

"Gigantopithecus keeps being mentioned. It needs to be more widely appreciated" - Mark Witton

Dinosaurs, Deep Time, and Diplodocus Drama

Beyond the pterosaur crowd, Witton’s art and research have tackled sauropods, marine reptiles, early synapsids, and even the broader field of paleoenvironments. His reconstructions are striking for what they don’t do: no oversized claws just for drama, no gaping mouths on every creature like they’re all auditioning for a horror flick, and—blessedly—no featherless raptors unless the data demands it.

Witton is part of a movement known as All Yesterdays—an effort to breathe life into extinct animals not just as skeletons with skin, but as real creatures that lived, slept, played, and sometimes just sat around looking weird. This includes speculative but plausible behaviors like camouflaging, social posturing, and yes, maybe even some prehistoric laziness.

"Rhomaelosaurus takes the starring role" Mark Witton

Online, Outspoken, and Occasionally Hilarious

When he’s not in the field, Mark Witton is online—blogging, tweeting, and defending the dignity of prehistoric creatures everywhere. His blog (markwitton-com.blogspot.com) is a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes insights: from critiques of bad paleoart to deep dives into fossil evidence.

His commentary is sharp, often witty, and always backed by data. Think of him as the David Attenborough of dead things, with a bit more sarcasm.

You can follow him on:

🐦 Twitter: @MarkWitton

Why It Matters

Witton’s work does more than make dinosaurs and pterosaurs look good. It challenges how we think about the deep past. In a field where artistic license can too easily drift into fantasy, Witton brings it back to Earth—literally—reminding us that these creatures were real, complex, and worth getting right.

He’s changing the way museums educate, the way documentaries visualize, and even how kids (and kidults) imagine the prehistoric world.

www.markwitton.co.uk

Alone Together: The Vivid Emotional World of Alan Concas

Alan Concas, a contemporary painter from Udine, Italy, is renowned for his evocative use of color and texture, crafting artworks that resonate with emotional depth and introspection. His pieces often explore the human condition, delving into themes of solitude and connection.

Alone Together and Other Reflections on the Human Condition

A closer look at the Alone-Together series and other standout works that delve into solitude, intimacy, and psychological space.

One of his notable works, Alone-Together (2019), exemplifies his ability to capture complex emotional states through oil on canvas. This piece, like many others, invites viewers to reflect on the nuances of human relationships and the spaces between isolation and togetherness

A Vision in Colour and Texture

Explore how Alan Concas uses rich palettes and layered textures to evoke emotion and tell visual stories that transcend language.

Concas's portfolio includes a diverse range of paintings, such as Alchimia (2019), Inside Closed (2023), and Feeling Blue, each showcasing his signature style that blends vibrant hues with tactile surfaces. His works often feature abstract forms and layered textures, creating a dynamic visual experience that engages the senses.

From Udine to Venice: Exhibitions and Artistic Journey

A snapshot of Concas’s career, including key exhibitions and how his Italian roots and surroundings shape his creative output.

Throughout his career, Concas has exhibited his art in various venues, including the Galleria Arttime in Udine, Il Cantiere Art Gallery, and the Park Hotel Ai Pini in Venice Mestre. These exhibitions have allowed audiences to experience his art firsthand, offering insights into his creative process and thematic explorations.

Beyond his paintings, Concas shares his artistic journey through his YouTube channel, providing viewers with a glimpse into his studio practices and the inspirations behind his work. His online presence extends to platforms like X (formerly Twitter), where he engages with a broader audience, discussing art and sharing updates on his latest projects.

Alan Concas's art continues to captivate and inspire, inviting contemplation and dialogue through his masterful interplay of color, texture, and form.

Discovering the Urban Poetry of Kandan G: A Journey Through Abstract Emotion

 In the ever-evolving world of contemporary art, few voices resonate with as much poetic urgency and visual rhythm as Kandan G. A master of abstract expression with over 35 years of professional experience, this Karnataka-born artist transforms the chaos and beauty of modern life into vivid, thought-provoking works that are as emotionally charged as they are visually arresting.

From the moment you encounter one of Kandan G’s paintings, there is a magnetic pull, an energetic hum of movement, color, and meaning. His brushstrokes feel alive, not merely capturing the external bustle of cityscapes but also the internal tempo of human emotion within these spaces. Through bold abstractions and semi-figurative hints, he conjures up the Poetics of Emotions, a series that, true to its name, paints feelings as landscapes and turns inner experiences into external realities.

Kandan G’s work explores what he calls the "visual spectacle of urbanization." Rather than depicting buildings and people in literal terms, he allows their essence to bleed through shape and color. His compositions often echo the frenetic pace of city life, portraying both the exhilaration and the distortion that come with it. With each piece, he offers a kind of abstract storytelling, where motion meets stillness and where the known world becomes something profoundly new.

One can’t help but be drawn into the textured depth of works like Contemporary Society-01 or the haunting serenity of "Poetics of Emotions 68". These are not mere paintings; they are invitations to pause, reflect, and feel. His color palette is rich and intuitive, shifting from luminous bursts to grounded tones, always guided by emotion rather than logic.

What makes Kandan’s work even more compelling is the philosophical thread that runs through it. An avid reader and traveler, he brings insights from science, literature, and life into his studio. This intellectual curiosity pulses beneath each piece, making his abstract expressions both deeply personal and universally resonant.

Beyond the canvas, Kandan G has made his mark across respected online art platforms, including Artflute, Mojarto, and Saatchi Art, where his work continues to find a global audience. For a more intimate look at his creative process, his Instagram account, @kandangmangalore, provides glimpses into his world, one brushstroke at a time.

In a time when our lives are increasingly fragmented, fast-paced, and complex, Kandan G’s abstract works offer a necessary counterbalance. They ask us to slow down. To interpret without certainty. To feel without naming. And in that space—in the quiet between color and meaning—we find something rare: a genuine emotional connection, born from the heart of an artist who sees the world not just as it is, but as it feels.

If you haven’t yet explored the work of Kandan G, now is the perfect time. His art doesn’t just hang on walls—it lingers in your thoughts, stirs your soul, and reminds you of the power of abstraction to reflect the beauty, confusion, and wonder of being alive.