James Gurney
Irish Elk  2005

The Irish elk, with its thirteen-foot antlers, was related to the contemporary fallow deer. Based on fossils found in Irish bogs, this grand creature became extinct in the Ice Age, but was well known to early humans. In fact, this painting shows the brown shoulder hump that clearly appears in cave paintings made by prehistoric artists. In Dinotopia, they are gentle guardians of the high mountains.

Illustration for Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara
Oil on board

Link to image of plaque at Norman Rockwell Museum