johnconway

[johnconway]

Hey Everyone, TetZooCon is happening again, and this year is going to be amazing. As well as the usual TetZooCon fun and nerdery, we have an absolutely spectacular venue. If you want to feel like a like some sort of superstar star sipping champagne* on a rooftop terrace overlooking the river in central London, looking down on puny kings and Prime Ministers while you geek out about animals, this is the event for you!

We also have palaeoart superstar Greg Paul coming over from America to give a talk and a Q&A, and TV's Chris Packham, among many other great speaker and guests.

TetZooCon 2024 will be held on September Friday 27th (evening reception only), and the weekend of September 28th and 29th. Our venue is once again Bush House, King’s College, London

Fort the truly hardy TetZooCon-er, we also have the TetZooTour, starting on the Monday following, where you will be guided to Darren Naish through some of the zoology and palaeontology sites of the UK.

More about what's planned for this year here:

*Well, Prosecco

[johnconway]

I've done a new painting, its called "The Wave" The captain informs us that due to slightly choppy seas the giant paddling men have been deployed, but there is no cause for alarm.

[johnconway]

Black Cherry

A girlfriend of mine once described my artwork as "emo". We broke up shortly afterward. Unrelated.

My random art tooter tooted some on of my Felt Mountain pieces recently, and it got me thinking about the song that got me into Goldfrapp in the first place. The artwork here diverged somewhat from the original idea, and the song. I think it got quite a bit darker.

[johnconway]

The Congolesian

Strange things are said to live in the jungle. But they are only strange to some.

[johnconway]

Moar dinosauroids in nice clothes.

[johnconway]

They see me battlecruisin', they hatin'.

[johnconway]

A portrait of Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis, scourge of the Late Triassic.

[johnconway]

My insane book A History of Painting: With Dinosaurs is out now as an eBook!

You can get it as a ePub here.

On Apple books here.

Or on Kindle on your local Amazon.

If you do buy it, please consider leaving a review. Self-publishing weird titles like this requires some help from people that actually like it!

[johnconway]

I've decided to turn the tables on AI. It gives me the prompts, I paint the pictures. They are painted as quickly as I can. Sad to say, I'm still a little bit slower than most online generators. But perhaps if I get enough VC backing I can improve performance.

I used my local LLM, Zephyr 7b, which is a Mistral derivative (if you care about this stuff!). So, I asked it to give me prompts, and it gave me back these d33p artistic ideas:

"Amidst a field of wildflowers in full bloom stands a towering structure that seems to defy all laws of nature. Its angles are sharp and unforgiving, its surfaces gleaming and reflective like polished steel. Yet despite its futuristic appearance, this edifice is grounded by the very earth it stands upon; roots winding their way deep into the soil, inextricably linking man-made structure to natural landscape. This image represents the tension between progress and preservation, a call for us to find harmony where they meet, rather than let them stand as opposing forces."

-----

"As an artist envisioning a complex tableau, I seek to create a visual metaphor that speaks to the dual nature of human existence – our inner turmoil and external serenity. The scene is set at twilight, where the last rays of the sun meet the onset of night in a symphony of colors, blending the boundaries between day and night. At the center stands a colossal, ancient tree, its roots deeply entrenched in the earth, symbolizing our connection to nature and our foundational beliefs. The tree's branches stretch upwards and outwards, bifurcating into intricate patterns that mirror the complexity of human thoughts and emotions.

Half of the tree is lush and blooming, covered in verdant leaves and vibrant flowers, teeming with birds and wildlife, representing the vitality of life and the beauty of outward expressions. The other half, however, is starkly different, with gnarled branches, devoid of foliage, whispering of the silent struggles and the decay that lurks within. This dichotomy illustrates the contrasting aspects of our lives – the visible joy and the hidden sorrows.

Beneath the tree, a serene pond reflects this duality, not just as a mirror image, but with a surreal twist. The reflection shows the tree in full bloom on the barren side, and vice versa, suggesting that what we see on the surface is not always the reality.

The visual style for this image will be inspired by the Pointillism technique, where small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image. This style will add an element of surprise and depth to the artwork, as the scene's full complexity and beauty will only be revealed upon closer inspection, symbolizing the idea that understanding and empathy require a closer look beyond the surface.

This artwork is an invitation to the viewer to contemplate the balance between our external persona and internal struggles, encouraging a deeper understanding of the human condition." -----

"In the center of a vast and barren desert landscape, there stands a lone figure cloaked in a long, flowing dress made entirely of shimmering gold fabric. This woman appears to be walking through the sandy expanse with ease, her every step leaving behind glittering footprints that twist and turn like winding rivers. Her hair is a cascade of purest silver, billowing gently in an unseen wind.

As she moves deeper into the desert, the woman begins to transform. Her skin takes on the same radiant quality as her dress, becoming infused with a brilliant golden glow that seems almost otherworldly. And atop her head, where once there was only silver hair, now rises a magnificent crown of swirling gold and silver filaments that shimmer and dance in the air like living fireworks.

This woman is a personification of hope and resilience, an embodiment of the human spirit that can weather even the most barren and desolate landscapes with grace and determination. Her dress is symbolic of her inner strength and her ability to transform adversity into something beautiful and valuable. The golden glow she emits represents the radiant light of hope that shines within us all, guiding our path through life's challenges no matter how harsh they may be. And as for the surprising visual style I mentioned earlier? Well...what if this woman isn't walking alone after all? As viewers follow her progress across the desert, we begin to notice tiny glimmers of light dancing just beneath the sand at her feet - and before long, it becomes clear that she is actually surrounded by a throng of shimmering golden fireflies that flit and flutter around her like living sparks. This unexpected twist adds an extra layer of meaning to the image, reminding us that even in our darkest moments, there is always hope and beauty to be found - if only we know where to look for it."

 I also put the prompt back in to DALL-E 3, which is the final image.

[johnconway]

This is absolutely your last chance to book for #TetZooCon, which is happening this weekend. Ticket sales stop at 7pm local London time (1 hour and 35 minutes from this post). If you like Tumblr, you’ll like TetZooCon, guaranteed*.

*Not a guarantee

[johnconway]

Do you like #animals? Can you make it to London on the first weekend of December? You should come to #TetZooCon! We have talks, stalls, art exhibitions, workshops, and even a cosplay contest.

TetZooCon is a super-friendly event, everyone is welcome.

[johnconway]

A new painting! Mudlarks, the pterosaur _Istiodactylus_

[johnconway]

I haven't been posting anything on Tumblr, because I haven't actually done anything new since I came back. I will have some new paintings in February though, so stay tuned to this station.

[johnconway]

My book! Someone likes my book!

Also this will tell you what the book is really about!

[johnconway]

Spinosaurus didn't ask for all this drama, it just died and got it's bones too scattered. Leave Spinosaurus alone!

While there might be a few interesting bits here and there: without a detailed description of the material and no consensus on it's taxonomy all these ecology papers on Spinosaurus don't faze me as much. Come back when you know what Spinosaurus is.

Things I wish for Spinosaurus in 2023: a detailed description of the "neotype" material.

More material from Bahariya.

And some fresh eyes looking at the fossils and their taxonomy.

[johnconway]

Elon Muskox is not a meme.