Finally…
Welcome to my site. After about a thousand false starts I realized I was going about this blogging business bass ackwards. For months I’d been trying to write an introductory post, and it kept tuning into a bad book. It was only after reading the early entries of some of my favorite online posters that I finally understood I don’t have to tell my entire life story, or try to explain all my questionable life choices before beginning to show you images. After all, this is an illustration site. So…
Full frontal blogging
Self-portraiture may be a pretentious beginning (I’m the one on the left), but then I’ve chosen this garish color scheme and put myself in the header. Hopefully, it won’t blind too many of you. I should mention that I don’t condone underage drinking, but Australopithecines probably matured faster than we do today and there was no danger of him driving. As far as his lack of clothing goes, please… he wouldn’t be wearing pants and I’ve spent my almost 60 years of life trying to paint animals with as much anatomical accuracy as possible. While I include human beings under the heading animals, I promise never to go for an R or X rating just to be obnoxious and certainly will never show off my own shortcomings.
Fossils of my friend here have been found in Olduvai Gorge. It makes him the perfect toastmaster, and explains the terrible pun (a gift from my son) of the title. The original idea was to create a character to narrate a series of short books about life through the Cenozoic, the last 65 million years. I saw book after popular book about dinosaurs, and although I too loved the ruling reptiles, by comparison, there were such a limited number of popular sources on mammalian and avian post-dino evolution that I thought I could use my abilities to fill in some of the blanks in an interesting way. My son also suggested I use myself as the model for Olduvai because I am exactly that 6-foot silhouette so many articles and books use for scale, and besides, I‘m always available and work cheap.
And so it begins; but not without a huge thank you to Brent Rasmussen of Unscrewing the Inscrutable. I can only attempt this because of his incredible patience with this computer neophyte, his amazing ability to write instructions I could actually understand, and his unflagging good humor and encouragement. No good deed goes unpunished however, and sooner or later I’m sure he’ll show up here befriending or being eaten by some monstrous critter.
Once upon a time
I had natural history columns in several newspapers, but that was over 20 years ago. I’m asking that you be gentle with me until I get back to where…well…the writing comes easier. I’m going to try to put up posts about some fossil animal or locale at least twice a month, complete with new illustrations. In between I’ll post work done in the past or new contracted work after it appears in print. Sometimes it might be a simple study of a bird…
…or some other living result of vertebrate evolution. Other times it may be a place in the here and now or in the past that I’ve visited, if only in my imagination.
And finally…finally…I’m not meaning to hide behind Olduvai. I’ve just been signing everything on the Internet for so long as OGeorge that it seemed the only way to go. My name is Carl Buell and I’ve been either self-employed or self-impoverished as illustrator for 40 years. At this moment I’m back in the area of my childhood in upstate New York, but I’ve lived in over 20 locations in 7 states and loved every one of them, as there was always a bird or other critter to watch or keep me company.
November 29th, 2005 at 12:08 pm
Olduvai George
Tuesday is my friend Carl Dennis Buell’s 60th birthday. So how come he’s giving us a present? Carl has been illustrating and illuminating the natural world for some decades: I think I first saw his work twenty years ago. He…
November 29th, 2005 at 4:37 pm
Gorgeous site (I really did NOT intend the pun, but I think I’ll leave it in, despite being such a horror).
I’ve been a long time fan of Natural History, particularly the Cenozoic period on up. So I look forward to reading and admiring all the pretty drawings(!) on your blog.
Carl and Pithy, tossing back some beers:
Let’s celebrate! We’re finally here!
We’ll entertain you with illustrations,
Astound you with some strange locations
as seen 65 MYA, give or take some dozen years.
November 29th, 2005 at 6:34 pm
You’re finally here! Heard about you from Creek Running North. Thank you for bringing us your stunningly beautiful work.
November 29th, 2005 at 6:49 pm
1) Thanks for the great site and artwork, Carl. It is much appreciated. PZM over at Pharyngula let me know about your site. He’s been giving us examples of your wonderful work for awhile now.
2) Happy Birthday.
3) Nice shot of you and your drinking buddy there. Tell that little ‘cus hello for me.
Scientia et Fermentum!
November 29th, 2005 at 6:51 pm
“…and there was no danger of him driving.”
Heh heh heh.
This has been long in the offing to hear tell over at Pharyngula. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your great work, as I’ve developed a newfound appreciation for the Cenozoic and agree it’s a bit short-shrifted.
Thanks!
November 29th, 2005 at 7:01 pm
Wow! Definitely worth the wait.
But do you do jackalopes?
November 29th, 2005 at 7:12 pm
AWESOME site OGeorge!!! Thanks for all the work you have done on the site and over the years.
November 29th, 2005 at 7:21 pm
Pictures at a very old exhibition
If you’ve been looking for a website focusing on natural-history illustration, you’ve probably resigned yourself to disappointment. After all, very few people in our degenerate times have the drawing and painting skills an illustrator needs. Of those…
November 29th, 2005 at 8:11 pm
An Audubon for the Miocene
Writing about paleontology without illustrations is like directing a movie without a camera. When I wrote my first book, At the Water’s Edge, I had the good fortune to join forces with Carl Buell, who brought walking whales and fish…
November 29th, 2005 at 8:47 pm
Hi, Carl! Welcome to the blogosphere.
I came here from Creek Running North, too, and am so glad I did! If I hadn’t followed Chris’ link, I’d have missed the “snapshot” of you and your little Australopithecine friend. So great!
You’re off to a brilliant start. Can’t wait to see where you go from here. Cheers!
November 29th, 2005 at 9:08 pm
Welcome Carl! Exquisite work you do my friend!
November 29th, 2005 at 9:32 pm
Carl, I am so glad to see your virtual presence on the internet. Your work is so moving and beautiful. I will bookmark your stie and visit often. I love seeing the timeless world through your eyes.
Happy Birthday to you.
November 29th, 2005 at 9:40 pm
Ah wow. This is EXACTLY what the blogsphere needs. It’s all about the Science/Art interaction
November 29th, 2005 at 9:45 pm
Well, I haven’t got much to add to all the other comments, but welcome to the blogsphere - it’s a cool site.
November 29th, 2005 at 9:59 pm
hi carl!
what fun!
and thanks to chris clarke for the heads up.
…
November 29th, 2005 at 10:48 pm
Hi Carl…Wonderful site! As a recently retired professor of zoology, I have to admit a bit of envy that you have such a rewarding skill to pursue. I will look forward to your posts and drawings. I wish I had the drawing of you and the Australopithecine years ago. The beer in the hand would have helped convince many a skeptical college student of our ape ancestory! Happy 60th…I will catch up to you in a year and two months. Never fear, I can’t draw worth a damn.
November 29th, 2005 at 10:51 pm
What a beautiful site! I came here by way of Creek Running North (like many others) and I’m glad I did. I’m looking forward to more.
Oh, and happy birthday!!!
November 29th, 2005 at 11:16 pm
Also here via Creek Running North. That is a STUNNING King Eider. But so’s everything else. I’m curious about your medium??
November 29th, 2005 at 11:35 pm
Amazing stuff. and I agree with Luke about art/science.
Could we use you as the yearlykos link of the week? I would need a little logo graphic (a mini you and your drinking buddy, maybe) and a two line blurb, which either I could come up with or you could. Anyway, would be honored if you are interested. DS knows how to reach me
November 30th, 2005 at 12:01 am
It’s all Chris’ fault that I’m here as well. He had us all eagerly waiting for your blog after he posted your illustration of him and Zeke and the sloth. And how can anyone not smile at your portrayal of yourself and Australopithicus? I’m excited for my six year old son to see your work as well–he will love it. Welcome to blogging, and happy birthday.
November 30th, 2005 at 12:08 am
You make art an exact science, and vice versa. Such exquisite work. Thank you.
November 30th, 2005 at 12:08 am
Some pig! More or less.
Gorgeous eider, too. You know, there was one of those hanging around the Berkeley marina one winter long ago, a hen. So of course, there was talk of Queen Eider and her Bon Ton Zydeco Band, but that’s a pun only a select few would appreciate.
I must say, you’ve got that light-in-feathers thing nailed. Glad I spent the bucks last year for the good monitor. Oh — the site color palette is great too, makes the eyes happy, yum.
November 30th, 2005 at 1:35 am
Nice site DAD!!! I love the fact that we all live in a time when we can share so much to so many, so easily. Carl Buell is more than a great father, he is my best friend and the most supportive person I have in my life. I would say best of luck on the website, but I think your intelligence, talent and the content of the site will draw people in from far and wide without much need for luck.
Love,
Bryce
November 30th, 2005 at 2:20 am
How wonderful to see you getting a case of blogitis. Warning, it’s incurable. I have been a fan for a long time.
November 30th, 2005 at 2:56 am
A trip back in time… sort of
What we’re gonna do right here is go back, way back, back into time. When the only people that existed were troglodytes… No..wait not Troglodytes, Australopithecines. Yes that’s right, Australopithecines drinking beer. What better way to celebrate…
November 30th, 2005 at 3:06 am
Welcome to blogland! Beautiful work, I can’t wait to see where we go next!
November 30th, 2005 at 3:27 am
Olduvai George Has A Blog
This is very cool. Carl Buell, better known by perhaps my favorite nickname of all time, Olduvai George (if you don’t get the reference, do a google search on “Leakey” and all will be revealed), has finally gotten around to…
November 30th, 2005 at 3:49 am
Congratulations, and welcome to the blogosphere. You needn’t have been uptight about having a “killer” first post; blogs are typically rambling affairs that meander off topic and generally serve as “venting ground” as much as anything else. A brief look at what I’ve written about will show you just how schizophrenic bloggers can be.
I would like to know the name of the beastie in the header, though.
November 30th, 2005 at 5:33 am
Full Frontal Blogging
You were warned. Welcome to Olduvai George! Via Pharyngula….
November 30th, 2005 at 5:57 am
O’George is the painter of PZM’s critters?! Sehr kuhl! You are inspirational boss.
And as I recall the tone of some of your comments on various sites where seen them (most UTI I’m sure,) I’ve no doubt your posts will continue (yep. good start!) to host your art admirably.
November 30th, 2005 at 6:40 am
Here via Pharyngula. There’s just not enough good paleo-art of Cenozoic mammals in the world, and yours is lovely, so I’m glad to see your new blog.
November 30th, 2005 at 6:57 am
Here via Pharyngula.
Great site, *great* pictures, but I *hate* the white on black text.
“Disable Page Colors” in the Firefox Web Developer extension returns it to black-on-white sanity for me. Others may not be so lucky.
Also, your fonts are kind of small. Must be the “font-size: 62.5%” in the CSS file. Me, I’ve set up my browser so that 100% is comfortable–that’s why they call it 100%. I wouldn’t grumble too much if you used 80-90%, but 62.5% is deliberate torture.
No more picking from me, I promise.
November 30th, 2005 at 7:34 am
I’m here via CRN to welcome you to the blogosphere and wish you a happy birthday.
I’ve seen your beautiful work at CRN and Pharyngula, and look forward to more. The self-portrait with your Australopithecine drinking buddy is particularly charming.
November 30th, 2005 at 8:43 am
Welcome to the weird wired world of blogging. I look forward to your work far more than anyone will ever look forward to anything of mine. I’d love to see (as if you were looking for subjects) a group of hominins, all of the known kinds including us, sitting around a camp fire having fun sometime… a family get-together.
November 30th, 2005 at 11:50 am
BEAUTIFUL! Awesome! I’ll be back again!
AuntiePupule.com
November 30th, 2005 at 12:07 pm
Wow. Wow! Wow!!
Yes, you have a good niche — we really, really need more pictures of mammalian history.
Your work is simply amazing. Wow.
November 30th, 2005 at 9:19 pm
From another former upstate-New Yorker, and lover of both art and the fossil era, welcome to the blogosphere! Your work is absolutely beautiful, and I look forward eagerly to whatever you have to show and tell us about it and about our natural history past. And, by the way, SHORT posts are really OK!!
December 1st, 2005 at 3:44 am
Woot! So glad to see another artist succumb to the terrible power of blog!
December 1st, 2005 at 4:43 am
Welcome, welcome, thrice welcome! What a beautiful site.
December 10th, 2005 at 4:00 am
I arrived here through an email from my daughter- she knew I’d appreciate the obscure humor (ok - the pun). As a fan of all things prehistoric (aka before I was born) I am thrilled to find a new site to peruse. Your illustrations are marvelous, writing is witty, and you appear to have nice knees.
December 15th, 2005 at 2:35 am
Carl, thanks for this great site. I’ve linked to it with a recommendation from the Dec 14/05 Botany Photo of the Day.
August 10th, 2006 at 9:25 am
Hi Carl,
Your illustrations are impressive. And so is the layout of your blog. I’ll make sure to check in regularly.
I wouldn’t be so sure about Australopithecines not wearing pants. In today’s cut-throat world of fashion, nothing’s out of the question
Regards,
John
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