MW Nature's Antiquities

The Summer's Catch

2011-11-22T08:34:00.000-08:00

Some of the finished products from our 2011 dig. Always exciting to find, then prep and now the restored beauty to @50million fossil fish.

Mioplosus

We are blessed to hang out with these pieces of antiquity: Left to right Mioplosus@12 inches,2 nice Priscacara@ 8 inches, Speckeled matrix with diagonal Diplomystus@6 inches, and @7 inch Sting ray inlaid in banded matrix.

We continue to restore and prep smaller and broken samples. Nice to work inside the shop while it snows.

What Kind Of Fish Is That???

2011-03-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

This fish commerical reminded me of a fossil I collected.

Often we find things in pieces this one was in two pieces. The exposed tail was almost perfect, so one would hope the front would be equally as well preserved.

After uncovering the front portion it was apparent that mother nature caused this portion to explode. Disarticulating the head parts , backbone and body, yet one cn still see the body design.

The tail and the body are joined to make the fossil fish,over twelve inches of the predatory Mioplosus. Beautiful tail scrambled head make for an interesting design showing the intricate fossilization process.

As winter lingers the fossil fish get bigger

2011-03-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

With 6-8 inches of nice fresh snow I thought it would be a good time to look at some of the project fossil fish completed winter 2010-11.

Group picture shows two nice sized Mioplosus,a smaller diver Mioplosus, a nice sized Priscacara and a juvenille Priscacara.It is awesome to find this type of fossil fish , fun to prepare and exciting to see the finished product.

Each sample is unique! Seldom to you encounter one that is perfect,each has its history and need for some restoration.The goal is to restore to make them look as natural as possible.

It is hard to imagine how the small fry grow up to the adult without being consumed by Fossil Lakes predator,like the Mioplosus.

The Priscacara developed a nice defensive system with the spike fins on their back and bottom,extremely hard to swallow.

Mioplosus

The predatory fish eating Mioplosus is very similar to todays bass, perch and walleye. This fossil fish is often found with small fish skeletons in the stomach area and with fossil fish lodged in it's throat.

Minature Collection

2010-12-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

four inch Phareodus

It has been a thrill to find the infant fossil fish,the junveniles and the adults.I continue to discover new ways to display all varieties of fossil fish. My latest technique involves sizing down the fossil plates to fit this windowed display. I can display all the same species or I can create a minature collection.

This shows both the top and the front

Left side and front Diplomystus and Phareodus

Left side and back Hypcacantha and Diplymystus

Right side Knigthia and Hypcacantha

2.5 inch Phareodus on the front completes the five species series

Summer 2010 Huge slabs

2010-11-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

The summer of 2010 flew by while digging for fossil fish in the Dempsey quarry,northwest of Kemmerer, Wyoming.

These pictures show the quarry wall and the largest single slabs I dug out this summer. Each slab was nearly three feet wide and six feet long. As I seperated them from the wall I had to tumble them to their resting place to dry in the sun. The slabs came in 1 1/2 to 3 inch thickness and they stayed together as I tumbled,drug and slid them around.

The final picture is a palm frond recovered from our dig that will be restored at a later time.

Mioplosus,Restored and Framed

2010-06-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

This was once a one piece specimen with minor restoration. It was sold and mailed by UPS to Texas, when the packing container was opened in Texas the fish was broken. Another replacement sample was agreed on and shipped out and the broken diver Mio came back to Wyoming.
The break was backed with birch plywood, glued in place , patching and restoration brought the fish back to near it's original beauty.

I decided to make a walnut frame to enhance and contrast the fish. The brass corner pieces added even another contrast.

The frame is @20 inches long and10 inches wide. The frame is @ 1 1/2 inches thick.

This fossil fish would look nice on a small easel, leaned on a border, or hung from a secured wall hanger. I used 20 pound steel leaders for hanger wire which is screwed securely into the frame.

Knightia Motion Mural

2010-05-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

I often get requests for murals of fossil fish, showing rhythmic motion or different species of fossil fish, yet another favorite is the predatory chasing it's prey, finally the request for aquatic plants or palm pieces and a fish aquarium setting.

These are sometimes inspiring piece but they require so much time in gathering the specimens, arranging, cutting to size, preparing the specimens, backing and gluing into place, grouting the seams, sealing, framing and then making the shipping container. It is little wonder that they are expensive, yet a wonderful investment in natures antiquities.

This was a requested mural showing Knightia in a rhythmic setting, surrounds by a cherry wood frame. The fish plates were glued to a 3/4 inch piece of birch plywood, grouted the seams, then framed.

the frame size is 27 inches long X 7 1/2 inches in width 2 1 1/2 inches thick.

The back is secured by two plate and is equipped for wall hanging.

The plate would be a showy piece on a wall or could be shown on an easel.

This was an enjoyable project during our monsoonal season in May.

The Last stormy Day of April

2010-04-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

The weather lately has been uncooperative to plan anything outdoors, so I decided to take a fishing trip inside. I went through my storage boxes and caught this small string of fosil fish. It is always fun looking through the fish needing preparation. the ones needing little preparation are the easy catches, they are the first to go to the preparation table.

This pair of Knightia took my eye. They will look nice in a verticle or horizontal display.

I found another pair of small Knightia that seem to be traveling together.

After catching a few Knightia I decided it was time to catch a few Diplomytus. I land three of these delicate beauties.

WOW! What a guy has to do to get in a spring fishing trip

April Ray

2010-04-05T11:28:00.000-07:00

A change of pace is always good and a new challenge brings a high level of activity to our mental and physical being. A spring begins to materialize with longer days, a few lingering snow storms, our song birds returning I decided to challenge myself by working on sting ray plates.After going through my boxes of projects accumulated over the past two seasons I found three possibilities.I chose the ray that would take the most restoration as my first project. This ray needed a great deal of help.
The ray's disk is @ 7 inches in diameter. It is the peel of another project I will bring to life later. In the peel process I ended up with only about half of the ray. So I reconstructed the left side and most of the tail. In the reconstruction of the tail I decides to make it a fat tailed ray. Heliobatis radian was inlaid into a nice banded matrix with a small Knightia present on the matrix rock. I chose to inlay the ray going the opposite direction of the Knightia. The balance allows a lot of flexibility on how this sample will be displayed. it shows nicely horizontally or vertically.

The overall dimension of the plate is 12 inches wide and 21.5 inches long.

March Madness

2010-03-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

After chasing the wee little folks(leprechauns) out of my garge and cleaning up their mess. I found this large plate with a shadow that called out to be discovered.

I tooled off the matrix in sections. Exposing the head and mouth first then the body and the tail.

That matrix and the fish were cooperative and didn't flake away.

Now we can cut the matrix down to suit the size of the fish. It looks like 11x16 inches will house this twelve and half inch fossil fish. Now every thing is ready for the final touches and sealing.
With luck like this I must be part Irish.

Phareodus Testis and 4 Knightia

2010-02-15T13:53:00.000-08:00

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.

Final touches Priscacara

2010-02-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

With all plates present, we can see the gradual transformation from exposed rough plate, to the uncovered plate, then the finished product.

The plate received some touch ups of paint here and there. Mostly the fins that were restored needed the most attention.After the touch up the fossil material was coated with a preservative, which gives a glossy appearance and seals the fossil fish. The finished product is worth the wait. With a 50 -55 million year old fossil there should not be any haste or rush for completion.

Priscacara Update

2010-02-04T17:51:00.000-08:00

The Fossil fish (Priscacara) is getting closer to the final steps of restoration.At this point all the matrix is removed from the fossil, the cracks have been filled and the back is stabilized and it has been cut down to its final size. I had to restore two of the tips on the dorsal fin and one tip on the ventral fin.

Tomorrow I will touch up the fins and seal the plate.The plate is 6 X 10 inches and the fish is @8 inches.

The Shadow Fish (Pricacara)

2010-01-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

Now an then we make a nice spilt that reveals the shadow of the fish we need to recover. I have attempted to photo the shadow image of this Priscacara. I used pencil to show the approximate size and outline of the body. At this angle you may notice the vertebrae, head region and dorsal fin.Using a different view (vertical view) and exposure adjustment one can better see the fish outline .Now we can carefully remove the matrix covering the skeletal remains of the 50,0000 year old fossil fish.

Winter Fun

2010-01-24T15:21:00.000-08:00

We spent two night and three days playing in the snow in the high Uintas Mountains.

Skied about 7 miles back into a Yurt, spent two nights and three days. Skied around, ate well and enjoyed friends company.

There were four in the party and Hanna the husky. We used our back packs and a couple of sleds designed to tow our cargo.

Pam and Windsor were awesome hosts!

The yert would accommodate about 10 people, had a wood burning stove, propane lantern, however snow melting for dish washing was a chore.

Going in was work, but worth every hill, coming out was a breeze.

2010 finishup from 2009

2010-01-09T07:18:00.000-08:00

After vacationing it takes me a couple of days to get my feet on the ground the refrigerator filled, the bills paid and catching up on communications.

Nice Priscacara @6 inches

9 inch Mioplosus and 2 Knightia

Now it is time to fall into a rhythm of work where I can produce quantity and quality restored fossil fish. Here are three plates that need to be dipped into sealant for their final finish making them the first projects completed for 2010.

Diver Mioplosus

2009-12-18T12:40:00.000-08:00

My next adventure for fossil fish preparation is a 12 1/2 inch Mioplosus, the plate is 17 inches long and 8 1/2 inches wide. The matrix is 1 inch thick. This is an interesting project because the fossil fish settled into the sediments at an angle. The head is nearly 1/2 inch above the tail end. When the fish is prepared it will appear the head has more dimension the rest of the body.

The plate required some paleobond adhesive for a small crack on the plate, which was sealed from the back side. I had to fill and elmer's glue a few smaller cracks. The head and tail were preped by hand. We had to do some restoration to the body as some of the scales peeled.

This finished out a nice deep bodied sample of this predatory species

What's for Dinner

2009-12-18T12:30:00.000-08:00

I decided to do a change of pace today.Thought I would fix dinner first before I prepared fossil fish.
Using about a pound of ground elk, onion, parsley, season pepper,chopped celery,sliced black olives, a quarter cup of barley for filler, 2/3 of a container of ricotta cheese and fresh spinach, a couple of hands full.
Cooked the burger, added other ingredients, mixed together, then I stuffed the ingredients into the large pasta snail shells, chopped up zucchini squash, layered squash with the filled shells, covered with mozzarella cheese.
Will bake on 325 for 30 minutes and dinner is severed.

19 inches of the Predatory Phareodus

2009-12-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

As this project reaches completion I am humbled by my inability to restore things the way they should be. It seems as I set out to match paint colors or blend colors I get into trouble, then try to camouflage my goofs.
The learning curve continues to grow with each project,this keeps life interesting and me humble.

Final Project 2009 Phareodus

2009-12-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

I finally got this beast put back together and patched things up as best I could. It will be interesting to see what it looks like when the paint restoration and final seal is done. I hope I can match colors well enough to make it look appealing. Plate will be16 X 22 1/2 inches, fish size is @19 inches.
It's hard to imagine fish of this size and bigger swimming around looking for other fish to eat.

As this fish came out in three major pieces it required a backing board, filling all the cracks and paint restoration. It was to large and rare not to restore.

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays

2009-12-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

Here it is December 1,2009 and I have one more big projects to go from my fossil fish projects of 2008. I think I can make it happen.
I am rounding stuff up for Lyman's craft show this weekend, should be fun.

Worked through all my ash plate paintings for the craft show and finsihed up a triple enlay plate. The enlay was a thin Priscacara with broken tail and lost fins. We did some restoration work and enhanced it with some acryillic paints.Both of the fish to the right and left were also enlayed,making this a four species plate.The band was the imprint of plant materials enhanced for contrasts.

I have a trwo foot Phareodus on the work bench awaiting some backer board for enlaying. Perhaps This will gret completed this week.
Got to get my Christmas decorations done before the next cold snap.

Week of the Mioplosus/ Mini Ray

2009-11-20T17:35:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that I am still working on fossil fish projects from last year. Before I can start on new projects I must complete those that are incomplete. This week I tried to catchup to those unfinished projects from 08.

I completed two Mioplosus this week, the first about 9 inches was broken, so I backed it with birch plywood and filled the seams, the second is @12 inches and is enlayed on a banded plate.

I couldn't resist in finishing this tiny sting ray. It was one of our best finds this summer.

Thankisgiving"Flutist"

2009-11-20T17:23:00.000-08:00

Tis the season to be thankful!
In the wilds of Wyoming we have to resort to the resources at hand. The native American's of this area might use the Flutist to describe their happiness and thanksgiving to nature for the wonders of cration and all good things in their lives.

As I was digging fossils this summer I came across these ash layers of rocks which have an interesting pattern.They were to well designed by mother nature to discard. So here is my native American view for these rocks, that were colored by volcanic ash layers. We should all blow our trumpets loud and strong in praise for the blessings from our creator.

The blessings of abundance and the challenge of the hunt.

Ray completion

2009-11-11T16:07:00.000-08:00

The ray project has finally reached completion!
It is so exciting to find such a specimen as a 50 to 55 million year old fossil even if it is broken and torn into pieces. With a little glue, paint and patience one can make a broken piece look fairly good. What was once broken is now one piece with two fracture lines restored, the torn away parts have been filled and painted. I will have to put the final seal on the entire piece.

It is hard to even imagine this ray swam around in a lake only forty miles from where I live. Fossil Lake provided a home for the world's best preserved fossil fish.

Completion,first mural complete

2009-11-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

After near six weeks of gathering,sizing, cuting, cleaning, gluing,framing, and sealing this project is complete.There are still options as to hanging or using a n easel. At present I am leaning toward hanging it centered on the wall directly behind the mural. I think the chevon design of the wall behind will enhance the view of the mural.

Now I have full appreciation of the time and tallents that is necessary to complete such a project. The larger the scale the more time is needed, along with other considerations, such as, weight, wall size and stud spacings.

Time progression of two projects

2009-11-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

The mural progressed from the rough cuts to final stages. Final cuts,gluing to the backer board, grouting the joints between tile, cutting the mural and the intial stages of framing. Once framed the wood and mural will be sealed and ready for showing.

The ray came together well. It was glued to a backer board, materials were cut and added to the bottom so the tail could be reattached. Then we prepared patch materials to fill in the places that were peeled; parts of the vertebrae, and the central part of the disk. Lucky that 98% of the disk is in good shape. Put a simple frame around the plate, now we need to touch up the patched areas with acyrillic paints. We will then seal the plate and the wooden frame.

Recent projects

2009-11-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

After quarrying all summer,it took a few days to put things away. Organization helps to prioritize projects. It is nice to have stacks of projects ranging in sizes and shape. Some are so perfectly fossilized they need no preparation. While others require a timely bit of restoration.
In the past month I worked on my first mural, a collection of thirty two pieces; including fossil fish of four different species,two eocene fossilized leaves, one fossilzed aquatic plant and spacer tile of various sizes.
An associate gave us the peel side of a sting ray. The plate requires backing, glueing, restoration, sealing and framing.

The pictures are project still roughed out but nearing completion. Will post final views at a later date.

Seasonal Fun

2009-10-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

It is time to get into the seasonal drift of fall. The leaves are starting to fall, weather turning cooler and pumpkins are starting to appear.

New shop updates!

What a fantastic learning opportunity for your children. I have added a new fossil option to the shop; a discovery kit. It includes a practice piece and a 4x6 inch piece with a complete fish outlined. There are directions to follow and a scribing tool to use. What a fun indoor project to keep the kids busy.

I thought that Halloween needed a few extra skeletons.

So its pumpkins and skeletal remains of ancient fish.

These fish can be used for wall decor, desk paper weights to refridgerator magnets.

Don't let fall pass you by without adding a few skeletons to your home decor.

Check out these new items in my shop.

Stormy Weather and progress on the Range

2009-10-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

As I traveled to and from the quarry today you could see the cloud formations and snow on the peaks.

Another noticeable transition was the sheep wagon and the oil rig in the background.

Not only do we see progression in the weather changes, we see a sign of things to come; oil industry and the cattle industry on the same range.

Wild Wyoming Winds

2009-10-09T17:17:00.000-07:00

This will be my last trip to the frozen, snowy, windy Quarry for 2009.The winds were howling up to 40 mph bringing the windchill down to about 8 degrees F.

The rocks slabs were frozen with ice, frost and snow on them. I will take them to a lower elevation and a warmer garage where they will become manageable. Hopefully they will contain lots of fossil fish.

Return to the Quarry

2009-10-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

Today we returned to the frost covered quarry to haul out our saw, tables and some cut fish. Kind of a bitter sweet day, nice to conclude a season of digging, yet sad to know the days are getting shorter and winters grip is upon us.

days at the quarry

2009-10-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

We wanted to share a few photos from our adventures at the quarry.

We spend many days at the quarry. Digging, hammering, hunting for the best fossil fish. My wife, Carol, joins me many of the days. Talk about a journey through life, the fossils we find have such history.

The days are long and the work is tough. By the end of the day we are dusty and tired.

Our drive back to civilization sometimes involves driving past a herd of cattle. Can you imagine?!

We love Wyoming.

packing up

2009-10-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

The saga continues... Journeyed back to the fossil quarry today, finding more snow than we expected. At @7300 ft. in elevation shows the true picture of the cold desert environment. Our goal today was to extract our primative camper. The good Lord was welling, the creek didn't rise, and we are home safe. Wow what a process all in the name of fun! This photo was one our son took earlier in the summer when the weather was more favorable for fossil digging.

frozen fish market

2009-10-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

Awoke to 18 degrees this morning, mountains are white, I am looking for my warmer clothes. This is surely a sign of old age or Wyoming wisdom. I still have materials and a camper I need to extract from the quarry. So tomorrow I will attempt another journey to the fridgid north country. Now instead of fossil fish I have a frozen fish market.

This is a photo of my camper... home sweet home (away from home).

little beauty

2009-10-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a little beauty 5x7 that jumped out of the fossil quarry. We cut it to fit, cleaned it up , sealed it an now it is ready for sale.

Diplomystus, the second most abundant fish in the ancient Fossil Lake. 50-55 million years old makes it a true piece of antiquity. See more at MWNaturesAntiquities.esty.com

Cold Quarry, Cold Rock

2009-10-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

Fossil quarry world is begining to look like winter, new snow also brought about 1/16th of an inch of frost this morning. The above photo is one of my saw and the area where I get the slabs ready to haul back to my shop a few hours away.

Let's talk about icing on the cake. Icing on the rock is very uncooperative. It's starting to get COLD in Wyoming. The above photo is one of the quarry, I call home much of the week during the warm Wyoming months. Thank God for Sunshine, radiant heat; warms me to the bone and thaws out my rocks. Life is good. Thanks be to an awesome creator, God.