Phareodus Testis and 4 Knightia

Here is an interesting combination of fossil fish preservation; a plate @11 x 14 inches with four poor quality Knighita and a 10.5 inch Phaeodus Testis that need a good deal of restoration. The Phareodus lacked a tail, the front of the head was gone and the body was housed on think matrix with four cracks running through the body.
By cutting the Phareodus out of it's original poor matrix then inlaying it into the Knightia plate we gained the structural integrity needed. This also added needed symmetry needed to to the Knightia plate. So we see some movement, prey swimming away from their predatory enemy and not so much negative space(balance).

Although this project required a good deal of patching and painting ,the end product is easier to appreciate.