A Painting Born from 150 Million Years Ago

A few months ago, a client handed me something I’d never held before: a piece of fossilized dinosaur bone. Heavy in my hand, it looked like a cross between a piece of ancient wood and a shimmering mosaic—earthy reds, deep browns, unexpected flashes of gray and plum. I was asked to create a painting inspired by it.

No photo. No fixed request. Just: "Let the colors guide you."

It was one of the most unusual (and exciting) commissions I’ve ever taken on.

As someone who usually paints sunsets, martinis, and memories from the sea, this felt like a departure—and also a return. I found myself staring at this million-year-old relic, letting my brush respond to it the way I do when I’m out sailing or watching the clouds shift over the Gulf.

I didn’t match the fossil exactly. That wasn’t the point. Instead, I let it speak. The shapes that emerged on the canvas were layered and a bit stormy, like something ancient resurfacing. I worked slower than usual. With more listening. More waiting. More wonder.

The piece has now been delivered to its new home, but the process reminded me why I paint in the first place. It’s not just to make something beautiful, but to translate feeling. Time. Texture. Story.

Because every painting has a story.
And this one started millions of years before I ever picked up a brush.

Initial Fossilized Dinosaur Bone from client

Finished commissioned painting