This is a little different from my usual posts. It’s not about a new painting or a recent reconstruction, but I believe sharing what inspires me is just as important as sharing the art itself.

This week, I had the pleasure of attending a talk by Dr. Jean-Bernard Caron at TELUS Spark in Calgary.

Dr. Caron is a wonderful example of a scientist who is truly passionate about bringing ancient life back into the spotlight. His research focuses on Cambrian creatures, a rather unusual choice, as most public attention tends to go to dinosaurs or Ice Age mammals.

But have you ever taken a close look at Cambrian animals? Evolution seems to have gone completely wild. Some of these invertebrates are so bizarre that they could easily be mistaken for creatures from a science fiction movie. Strange body plans, unusual appendages, and eyes in unexpected places, they are fascinating subjects for both scientists and artists.

I couldn’t resist sharing a few of my artworks inspired by this incredible period.

What made the talk especially meaningful to me was its connection to the Burgess Shale, one of the world’s most important and biggest Cambrian fossil sites. Located in the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, just a couple of hours from my home in Alberta, it is bountiful with some of the most spectacular Cambrian fossils ever discovered. Researchers have been studying the site for more than a century, yet it continues to reveal new species and provide fresh insights into early animal evolution.

For anyone interested in paleontology, the Burgess Shale is an endless source of scientific discoveries and inspiration for paleoartists alike.

I’ve been pretty close to the digging site, at Stanley glacier trail, see the pictures of that gorgeous hike below. I hope to visit the Burgess Shale one day.