SPECIAL EXHIBITS
Proctor Museum of Natural Science
Fossil casts, also called fossil replicas or reproductions, allow students, collectors, scientists, and others interested in prehistoric life to handle and study precise duplicates of fascinating and even famous fossils without risking damage to the originals, and at a small fraction of the cost. These museum-quality fossil casts are produced from original fossil specimens (not from sculptures, as are many replicas at some Web sites). They include a variety of well-preserved and historically important specimens from several different geologic periods, including trilobites, ammonites, crinoids, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, as well as one of the largest selections of dinosaur and pre-dinosaur track casts available anywhere. Each replica is carefully cast in high-strength gypsum cement and meticulously hand painted to replicate the natural appearance of the original specimen. Resin composition is available at additional cost (please contact us for quotes on resin casts). The largely flat casts (such as the pterodactyls and ancient birds) come with sturdy hangers on the back. The paper-weight-sized and more 3-dimensional casts come with felt pads on the bottom. All include full identification labels indicating the specimen's scientific name, locality, geologic period, and formation.
Bryan Carter has chosen wildlife as the subject of his art, stone and petrified wood as his canvas, realism as his style, and an occupation as a full-time artist. He now paints magnificent animals on beautiful pieces of petrified wood that can be 23–40 million years old! The variety of stone used by Bryan comes from all over the world, but the petrified wood comes mostly from Texas. Each piece is like a special time capsule back in earth’s fight for life within itself. The beautiful natural colors, which were once living tissues that gave trees their vertical strength, as well as the transformation from living to stone, make each rock beautiful and unique. The stones are truly nature’s art without a touch of paint!
Dromaeosaurus
Houston Museum of Natural Science
We are once again bringing back the HMNS and their extremely popular "hands-on" learning station for kids of all ages. They will have their ever-popular fossil molding and casting station where youngsters can create their own fossil reproductions.
They will have a "touch-cart" where kids can see, feel, and hold a wide array of Pleistocene fossils, such as a 60,000 year old mammoth tusk, horse teeth, crocodile scoots, and bones from manatees, camels, and deer. There will also be a station where kids can create their own trilobite masks and make paper models of trilobites.
Finally, they will have a display of "living fossils" to thrill young and old alike. Did you know that insects are from the Permian/Triassic (represented by a dragonfly and a live giant hissing cockroach)? Reptiles are from the Mesozoic era (represented by snakes [Cretaceous], lizards [Triassic], and an alligator [Triassic]).
Bill and Lois Patillo have created this amazing display consisting of rocks that look like food. They have arranged it all to appear as if we are sitting down to a scrumptious meal, complete with silverware and china. This is always a popular attraction at any show where they appear (and they do appear at many shows throughout the country!).
This is what Bill Patillo says about his “rocks”: “Most of the rocks in the collection are in their natural state. They may be cut to show what the rock looks like on the inside or shaped to form the shape of the natural food. Some of the pieces are dyed to resemble the food that the rock represents. A few of the items have been purchased, but most have been collected while on rock hunts. Some of the items have been given to us by other rockhounds. To them it is just a rock, but to the Food Table, it is a great addition to the collection.”
Texas PMC
Precious Metal Clay™ (PMC) is a revolutionary new craft material developed and patented by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation of Japan. It feels like potter's clay, but when objects are fired in a kiln, they are transformed into pure precious metal! The secret is microscopic particles of silver and gold suspended in an organic binder that burns out to leave solid metal.
Texas PMC is Cheryl Lucas’ company. She teaches PMC classes and creates her own PMC pieces. She will be demonstrating the art of PMC creation at the HGMS show using her own kiln. You can even have her mold pieces for you during the show.
To contact her to arrange for classes or jewelry fabrication, e-mail her at bach_art@sbcglobal.net
Dino Dig
This is always a very popular stop at our show. The Dino Dig consists of real as well as plastic fossils and gemstones set into concrete, waiting for kids to excavate them! We provide safety goggles, hammer, and chisel to use for the excavation. Because of a large number of people wanting to try their luck at excavating, there is a time limit during high-traffic times so that everyone gets a chance.