FEATHERED DINOSAURS...A word from the artist..

So...why do another book on feathers and dinosaurs when there already seems to be so many ? For several reasons. Firstly, when I read 'The Jehol Biota - The Emergence of Feathered Dinosaurs, Beaked Bird and Flowering Plants' (eds Mee-mann Chang et al, Shanghai Scientific & Technological Publ. 2003), my perception of the prehistoric world was forever altered. I realised that coexistent with those lumbering megabeasts that have always enthralled us was a whole suite of previously unrepresented animals that occupied ecological niches at every level of the food chain. For the first time it was explained precisely how these smaller predatory dinosaurs were able to maintain their position in this heirarchy - they had insulation.

And then I realised that the majority of these creatures - new to science as they were - had not yet been accurately depicted. With this realisation, another reason emerged - the passion of my youth was rekindled. I was, like many other children, one of those besotted by the almost fantasy world of the dinosaur - to such a degree that this passion sparked my early career in palaeontological reconstruction.

The chance to revisit that world of my childhood, but armed now with the disciplines of research and illustration, was one I simply could not let pass. Many of the paintings within the book required exhaustive research which foremost involved comparing the morphology of creatures from past to present. Similar considerations were also given to habitat and behaviour. To be able to collaborate in these matters with such an acclaimed author and palaeontologist as Dr. John Long was a fantastic opportunity.

I could, of course, have painted all of these animals in a conservative and composed manner, but that child still inside of me demanded some flesh-tearing drama too!

The final result is therefore a very different book to anything that has preceded it. I trust you will receive as much enjoyment from viewing these images as I received in painting them.

Peter Schouten
May 2008