Blade-of-the-Moon's Art

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

The new entrance looks great! I love the Jurassic Park inspiration there 

Thanks!  I'm chock full of it..heh  I made a stencil for the Ingen logo and you can find it here and there throughout the Park too..

Oh, man, that is way cool!

Thanks bud! Only took us a week thank goodness..few people thought we were closed and left. :/   I actually wanted to make it 16' but thankfully my friend here talked me out of that..lifting those wood frames this high about killed us. heh

[LophoLeeVT]

the new gate is insanely cool!!!

[Simon]

Blade that looks absolutely superb and professionally done!  How is the fight to keep the park open going?  You look like you've made some major progress ...

...also could you post a link to the relevant websites again?  I can't seem to locate my bookmark for it ...

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

the new gate is insanely cool!!!

Thanks bud!

Blade that looks absolutely superb and professionally done!  How is the fight to keep the park open going?  You look like you've made some major progress ...

...also could you post a link to the relevant websites again?  I can't seem to locate my bookmark for it ...

Thanks been some work planning and all..I figured up this improvement on paper last year, budgeted the funds for it, and then we knocked it out in a week..lol

We've added new parking, some fences, about 3,000 USD of improvements but still a long way to go though.  Paving, restrooms, lots of details.
I have a new friend that has a business using heavy equipment, they also have a commissioner friend in the govt.   She told me this tonight :

We heard something today you may want to know. Not sure I should say but my son ran into a commissioner today and he told him something interesting.  If true something you need to be ready on what to do. They have a huge park not being used, they are thinking of asking  if you would consider moving to the park and putting it to use. They would pay you to oversee the operation, pay you a nice salary and turn the operation into a larger venue with backing from the county. But they want you in full charge.. They said the park has all of the room you will need plus plenty of parking. Hum.

Not sure what to do with it though..lots of issues.

the website is here:  www.backyardterrors.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BackyardTerrors/
our gofundme too : https://www.gofundme.com/357zus

[Simon]

Sounds almost too good to be true - how would you even move the larger dinosaurs though?  Would they provide the semis required to move them?  Or a freaking crane (I don't suppose there would be any way to disassembling them. 

Obviously they see the $$$ potential of the park, but the logistics of pulling this off - IF - such an offer comes down in the first place, are daunting, aren't they?

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Sounds almost too good to be true - how would you even move the larger dinosaurs though?  Would they provide the semis required to move them?  Or a freaking crane (I don't suppose there would be any way to disassembling them. 

Obviously they see the $$$ potential of the park, but the logistics of pulling this off - IF - such an offer comes down in the first place, are daunting, aren't they?

Exactly. There are..issues.   I don't drive so I would either have to live there on site or find a place nearby.  That's a big change, my roots run deep here.

I have no real good idea on that. The Stego , Rex and Trike could maybe be air lifted via helicopter.  The Apatosaurus now, she wouldn't even make it down the road under power lines at 15' tall and 67' long.  Maybe a Chinook could air lift her?  No idea though. They way they are made there is no taking them apart unfortunately. We would need structures for our dark exhibits, a gift shop, just a ton of different things.  I can't see how they would propose this as cheap.   We could build new ones but that would take years.    We've spent three years going on 4 here makig this place what it is..tearig it all up..makes me groan even if it is a better long term solution.

[Halichoeres]

Wow, that's incredible! Of course it would be a logistical nightmare for a brief time, and there might even be damage to some of the lovely things you've built, but even despite all that it sounds too great to pass up.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Wow, that's incredible! Of course it would be a logistical nightmare for a brief time, and there might even be damage to some of the lovely things you've built, but even despite all that it sounds too great to pass up.

The big problem moving the larger ones or any of them really is they are too badly broken they are gone for good. They just aren't really repairable unless it's superficial, paint, teeth, ect..

[LophoLeeVT]

i suggest to move into the bigger park though still you could give it  the bigger dinosaurus a try.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

i suggest to move into the bigger park though still you could give it  the bigger dinosaurus a try.

I'm not sure how much larger the other park is, still havent seen it yet.   

There are a lot of questions still too..where would funding for new dinos and improvements come from?  The county would probably charge a set admission price, we never have to be to open to everyone.

What my friends have said might work is we keep this location open all the while prepping the new one.   New dinosaurs could be made and placed there while the grounds are fixed up, new buildings made, all assuming that's doable we could gradually switch over to the new place.  Lots of planning would be involved...it would take a couple years or so.

[FishFossil]

It sounds difficult either way here. I hope you can get it all sorted out.

[Newt]

The park's looking great Blade! That's exciting news about the possible move. I can see why you'd be nervous, but it's also a great opportunity!

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

It sounds difficult either way here. I hope you can get it all sorted out.

It feels very much that way..I hate indecision as nothing gets done.  I hope so too..it's all we can do now to wait..that's the worst having it hanging over you.  You don't know if it's a pebble or a boulder. :/

The park's looking great Blade! That's exciting news about the possible move. I can see why you'd be nervous, but it's also a great opportunity!

Thanks!  Really filling up now,  birthday parties, field trips, next month will be nuts.   Yeah I understand this might help us to continue and grow and reach the public better it would also mean steady pay for an artist..that's practically unheard of.   But then I think of all the years and time spent moving tons of rock, digging ponds, building structures, planning...it's been a massive undertaking..we've went from a seed to a 60' oak tree in that time..not something easily uprooted and moved.   I've been my own boss here, I tend to chafe under restraint, in the past that was from bosses who didn't care as much as I did.  Who would own my dinosaurs? You know, these are all things I have to consider. These dinos are as much my family as anyone..heck most are named for family and I talk to them.. heh  To see inexperienced hands tear them apart moving them...I don''t know what I'd do.    I appreciate everyone's feedback, only this forum and my family here knows about it, I've kept it off facebook as I want to hear something official first.

[E.D.G.E. (PainterRex)]

Can't wait to hear and see more about your project!

[Simon]

Blade - I think that the rumored "new park" is probably not serious at this point - I doubt that the person who mentioned it has a clue of the expense and trouble it would take to "transplant" the animals to the new park, or to build new ones.

I think for now the smart thing to do is to proceed full speed ahead on getting the park approved by the County. 

Will be sending you a donation momentarily...

[Mamasaurus]

The park is really looking great, and I can hardly wait to see your progress!  . I'm glad that everything is running more or less smoothly, and business is picking up. Hopefully that means the mess with legislation will smooth over nicely.

As far as the possibility of new park grounds...it sounds like a great proposal, but moving the animals (and other issues like who would own the park) are certainly something to consider. I second Simon's advice above.  The proposal may not have any real merit to it, and until you have more information there is no sense in freezing everything. One step at a time, and at the moment you have enough on your plate with meeting the requirements for improving the park. 

In the meantime, I am cheering you on from afar  your work is amazing, and I'd surely love to bring the kids up there as soon as they're old enough to appreciate it (road trips are next to impossible with 3 babies in tow  )

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Can't wait to hear and see more about your project!

Thanks for checking in bud!

Blade - I think that the rumored "new park" is probably not serious at this point - I doubt that the person who mentioned it has a clue of the expense and trouble it would take to "transplant" the animals to the new park, or to build new ones.

I think for now the smart thing to do is to proceed full speed ahead on getting the park approved by the County. 

Will be sending you a donation momentarily...

Oh I'm sure they don't.  A land surveyor who was trying to help us suggested we move the Park to a golf course he knew of.  He wanted part of the gate we'd have to charge in exchange for all the planning.  He figured wed leave the big ones, build new ones and open in April.. this year..he proposed this idea in January.   I could buy models with the right budget in that time frame but no way could i build them.  Anyone who doesn't work with these sorts of things have no idea really.

Thats what we're doing now, it's a lot to do before june 16th though.   Thanks bud, I and all the kids that visit here really appreciate it.  We had a headstart class today of 20 kids and their parents that had a blast visiting the park and enjoying it today all while learning about our prehistoric past.  Tomorrow 50 more will do the same.  Teachers, parents, grandparents, kids, aunts, uncles, friends and families they all come here.  That's how important this place is and to who.  Thank you.

The park is really looking great, and I can hardly wait to see your progress!  . I'm glad that everything is running more or less smoothly, and business is picking up. Hopefully that means the mess with legislation will smooth over nicely.

As far as the possibility of new park grounds...it sounds like a great proposal, but moving the animals (and other issues like who would own the park) are certainly something to consider. I second Simon's advice above.  The proposal may not have any real merit to it, and until you have more information there is no sense in freezing everything. One step at a time, and at the moment you have enough on your plate with meeting the requirements for improving the park. 

In the meantime, I am cheering you on from afar  your work is amazing, and I'd surely love to bring the kids up there as soon as they're old enough to appreciate it (road trips are next to impossible with 3 babies in tow  )

If anything the more crowds we gather the more careful and precise we need to be.  Our draw of over 3200 people in one night started these issues.

I really appreciate the support no matter how far away it comes from, it's still from the most important place.   So many people are so negative these days , there have times myself when i thought " there really is no place left in a world like this for me."  It means so much to hear from those that believe as I do and in what I do. It keeps me going whenever this fun turns to work and I want to stop.  I think of all those who care too and I get up and go on.  If I can manage it we'll be here for you and your kids when they are ready and maybe even their kids.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

couple questions.

#1 installing the teeth in our Spinosaurus and going for a gnarly jagged look, that's realistic right?  I seem to think of it as so for some reason.

#2  Is Littlefoot in the Land Before Time an Apatosaur/Brontosaur with the Camarasaurus head?  He looks really box-ish like a Camara but his mom and grandparents look more like a typical Apatosaurus?  Working on a project and trying to decide if I should go for a realistic version of the character or a realistic apatosaur named for the character.   For example the big bulge between his eyes where the nostrils are..add it or not?  the character has it, but i don't think a real apatosaur would?

[MLMjp]

I have seen restorations with lips and without them. I guess we can't say for sure how it looked. But the most prominent depictions look like this:


The upper teeth are exposed and the ones on the end of the lower jaw also thank to the notch on the upper jaw.

Or maybe this, with less teeth exposed:


And here´s one with lips and speculative feathers:

[Archinto]

Spino #2 in the above post looks the most beleivable to me. Youd think the critter would have the capability to shut its lips in back, sealing its mouth while still having the front teeth exposed for catching fish.

As for your littlefoot, I think they were just going for a seriously juvenile look on the character. If you do make one, try to keep some of  the look so that he still looks like littlefoot. Maybe also look at some of the toys released of him. The pizza hut puppets are pretty good models to go off of too. If you dont have any I can take pics of mine for you.

Honestly, if you could pull off a strong enough sculpture, a set of land before time babies would be a killer attraction for kids to be able to climb on and get photos with.