Breathe deep, seek peace, Dinotopia fans, and don't miss Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney on view February 18 through May 20, 2006 at the Norman Rockwell Museum.

From the soothing, restorative environment of Waterfall City to the hidden wonders of Chandara, acclaimed author and illustrator James Gurney's magical Dinotopian world comes to life in this enchanting exhibition that features 44 original oil paintings from the best-selling illustrated books Dinotopia: A Land Apart From Time (1992) and Dinotopia: The World Beneath (1995). The exhibition, organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum, includes a preview of several never-before-seen works from Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara, the much-anticipated upcoming installment in Gurney's Dinotopia series, and presents fascinating examples of the illustrator's creative process, such as preliminary studies, reference photos, and handmade scale-models.

Inspired by archaeology, lost civilizations, and the art of illustration, Gurney's Dinotopia, an extraordinary place where humans and dinosaurs live in harmony, fuses fantasy with realism and scientific accuracy. "The thing I love about dinosaurs is that they are on that balance point between fantasy and reality," says Gurney. "It might be hard to believe that mermaids and dragons really existed, but we know that dinosaurs did- we can see their footprints and skeletons but we can't photograph them or see them, except in our imagination."

The Dinotopia storyline chronicles the adventures and remarkable experiences of Professor Arthur Denison and his son Will on Dinotopia, a mysterious "lost" island inhabited by dinosaurs and shipwrecked travelers. The faraway land of Dinotopia— wholly the product of Gurney's fertile imagination, scientific knowledge and meticulous artistic ability— is a civilization like no other. The society has its own language, alphabet (dinosaur footprints that correspond to each letter of the Roman alphabet), colorful festivals and parades. The lively cast of characters includes the inquisitive Professor Denison; Will and Sylvia, the adventurous young Skybax riders-in-training; the devious curmudgeon Lee Crabb; the beautiful musician Oriana Nascava; and a multlingual, diplomatic Protoceratops named Bix.

Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney is sponsored by Greylock Federal Credit Union.

"We are honored to present the most comprehensive collection of original works by James Gurney that has ever been exhibited," says Associate Director of Exhibitions and Programs Stephanie Plunkett, who is the curator of the exhibition. "His artistic contributions, inspired by a love of visual storytelling and dedication to craft, deserve the highest recognition. The artist's compelling narratives recall the work of Norman Rockwell, who remains one of his artistic heroes."

Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney will open with a family festival at the Norman Rockwell Museum on Saturday, February 18, from 3 to 6 p.m. Guided tours of the exhibition will be held from 3 to 4 p.m.; prehistoric art-making workshops for children will be held from 3:30 to 6 p.m.; and at 4 p.m. James Gurney will give a presentation, followed by a book signing. Wandering minstrel Mary Jo Maichack's songs will fill the galleries throughout the day and complimentary beverages and snacks will be served, including Dino Sours and Rainy Basin Brew, Tortilla Claws with T-rex Mex Dip, Skybax Wings, Bix Fossils, Ruby Sunstones and Dino-dung Cookies. The event is free to Museum members as well as children ages 18 and under. The general public is welcome to attend the event with the purchase of the standard Museum admission fee.

THE MAN BEHIND DINOTOPIA

Gurney's youthful daydreams inspired an interest in archaeology and lost civilizations. The artist recalls many hours spent excavating his suburban backyard for arrowheads and "even a lost temple." During college he majored in anthropology at the University of California at Berkeley, where he received a B.A. in 1979 with Phi Beta Kappa honors. From there he went on to pursue his lifelong interest in art, studying illustration at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where he met his wife Jeanette, also an artist, who shared his love for sketching outdoors.

A cross-country trip with friend and fellow artist Thomas Kinkade resulted in The Artist's Guide to Sketching (1982). During his early career he painted jungle and volcano backdrops for animator Ralph Bakshi's Fire and Ice (1983) and became interested in the fantasy genre. His art soon appeared on the covers of science fiction and fantasy novels but his big break as an illustrator came from National Geographic magazine with a series of challenging assignments working with scientists and historians to recreate ancient worlds. Gurney's secret dream was to discover a lost city as significant as Troy or Machu Picchu and so, in his spare time, he envisioned and painted Waterfall City and Dinosaur Parade, which inspired the conceptual framework for Dinotopia.

His first Dinotopia book, the New York Times bestseller Dinotopia: A Land Apart From Time, appeared in 18 languages in more than 30 countries and sold two million copies. Gurney has written and illustrated two other volumes in the series, Dinotopia: The World Beneath and Dinotopia: First Flight. A fourth volume, Dinotopia: Journey To Chandara will be published in 2007. In 2002, Hallmark Entertainment produced a lavish $86 million television miniseries for ABC-TV based on the Dinotopia books that received record-setting ratings and an Emmy award for best visual effects.