Richard Bizley is a talented artist based in Dorset. He has a lifelong passion for art, astronomy and the natural sciences. This passion fuels his creativity and inspires his remarkable work.  We have known Richard for many years.  Indeed, we have several of his illustrations of prehistoric fauna and flora around our house.  You may have come across his amazing artwork, it has featured in numerous books, magazines and other publications.  Indeed, we have featured Richard Bizley’s art on this blog previously.

Our article from 2019 that highlights Richard’s work in a book explaining the emergence of giant arthropods during the Carboniferous and the eventual demise of these bizarre ecosystems: “Carboniferous Giants and Mass Extinction”.

His work encourages us to appreciate both the history of our own planet as well as the wonders of the universe.  Richard has a deep understanding of his subjects.  For example, his knowledge of palaeontology and the fossil record helps him to create realistic prehistoric scenes. He often features prehistoric animals and events that are often overlooked by other artists, bringing them to life with remarkable detail and imagination.

The southwestern United States at the end of the Triassic. The skeleton of a large phytosaur (Redondasaurus) lies exposed on a dried-up lakebed. Picture credit: Richard Bizley.

Picture credit: Richard Bizley

The picture (above) shows a scene from the end of the Triassic. During this time in Earth’s history there was a mass extinction event, probably caused by dramatic global warming as a result of extensive volcanic activity. A skeleton of a phytosaur, a Redondasaurus, lies forlorn on a dried-up lakebed in this harsh and unyielding environment. The once abundant phytosaurs became extinct along with many other types of reptiles such as the aetosaurs and the rauisuchians.

The Remarkable Art of Richard Bizley

As a Fellow of the International Association of Astronomical Artists, Richard stands out in his field. His paintings capture the beauty of life on Earth and the wonders of the cosmos. Richard’s illustrations document significant moments in the long history of Earth.  For instance, he has produced many compositions that illustrate our planet not long after its formation.

The early history of our planet is captured in this image of the Hadean Eon. The super-heated and molten surface is subjected to frequent impacts from asteroids, comets and other space debris left over from the formation of the planets. Picture credit: Richard Bizley.

Picture credit: Richard Bizley

Illustrating the Mesozoic

Much of his work portrays life during the “Age of Dinosaurs”. However, Richard often chooses to highlight some of the lesser-known animals that co-existed with the dinosaurs, giant marine reptiles and pterosaurs.  His extensive knowledge of palaeontology permits him to put into the spotlight some of the incredible invertebrates and other creatures that thrived during the Mesozoic. Often his work is devoid of vertebrates.  For example, the illustration (below) is dominated by crinoids (sea lilies). It depicts a shallow marine seascape during the Bathonian faunal stage of the Middle Jurassic.

A scene showing the seafloor during the late Bathonian stage of the Middle Jurassic. Crinoids dominate the seascape, but brachiopods and sea urchins also thrive. Picture credit: Richard Bizley.

Picture credit: Richard Bizley

The seafloor is shown carpeted with two types of crinoids. The taller stalked crinoids (Isocrinus) and the stalk-less comatulid crinoids (Eocomatula). Eocomatula crinoids were able to swim as highlighted in this captivating image. Also on the seafloor are some brachiopod shells, and a spiny sea urchin (Acrosalenia).

Our thanks to Richard for sending into us some examples of his remarkable artwork.

For further example of the work of Richard Bizley and to purchase prints: Richard Bizley Art.