Smithsonian Sea Monsters Unearthed! Prominent Marine Life
Time period shown: Cretaceous
About this image:
Getting to re-create such a wide range of Cretaceous life from ancient Angola's ocean was one of the great opportunities that came from working on Sea Monsters Unearthed for the National Museum of Natural History and Southern Methodist University.
Karen sculpted or painted more than three dozen vertebrate and invertebrate animals from both the Cretaceous South Atlantic and the same region today. Shown here are a few of the most prominent featured in the work of Dr. Louis Jacobs and Mike Polcyn, both of Southern Methodist University:
Top row: Prognathodon kianda
Second row: Globidens and juvenile mosasaur sp.
Third row: Platecarpus ptychodon and Halisaurus
Fourth row: Euclastes and Protostega
Fifth row: Cardiocorax
These animals are shown proportionally to their life size: The elasmosaurid Cardiocorax was up to 8 meters in length, and Prognathodon kianda was nearly as big. The ancient South Atlantic really was home to sea monsters!
Image and client information:
Smithsonian Sea Monsters Unearthed! Prominent Marine Life.
For Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Sea Monsters Unearthed!.
© by Karen Carr
See more images of the Cretaceous.
See more images of Marine animals and fish.
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Karen in the classroom
— As a guest speaker or lecturer
In addition to the time she spends painting, Karen finds time now and again to serve as a guest speaker, lecturer and instructor to museum groups, professional organizations, schools and universities. She has also presented master classes in art and digital painting at universities in the U.S.
Karen has delivered recent presentations for these institutions and groups:
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
- Southern Methodist University
- Guild of Natural Science Illustrators at the College of William & Mary and at Montana State University
- New Mexico Highlands University
- University of Texas at Arlington
- University of North Texas
- Dallas Paleontological Society
Originally trained in the classical techniques of illustration and painting, Karen frequently speaks on the transition to a digital world, and on the challenges and benefits this transition poses for artists, clients and viewers. She conducts professional seminars on painting, illustration and digital image creation, and also offers specific programs tailored to the needs of professional groups or classroom instructors.
To contact Karen about a speaking engagement, just drop her a note or call her studio.
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