Thursday 29 March 2012

'Teanantosaurus'

I once asked the astonishingly precocious Jon Tennant of Green Tea and Velociraptors what dinosaur he was. His answer, to my considerable surprise, was Tenontosaurus. For whatever reason, he had often struck me more as a deinonychosaur of some sort. Perhaps it was that very precocity and pointed wit that did it... I soon learned that Tenontosaurus was in fact the first dinosaur he formally studied; what's more, it had even once been called 'Tenantosaurus'.

So when I recently sent him a tin of loose leaf green tea (some very fine sencha) to supplement his already limitless stock, I had to include this sketch of his saurian portrait in the accompanying note.


I snapped a quick photograph of it before it was sent, but here is Jon's scan of it, too.

I had originally meant to use 'Tenantosaurus' as this entry's title, but Jon went one further with 'Teanantosaurus' when he sent his thanks. I appropriated it at once, as you see.


8 comments:

  1. hey, I drink tea too!!! Up for a dueling palaeoartist showdown?

    :-)

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    1. Perhaps I can send you some tea instead? ;)

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  2. Bloody hell Niroot! Beautiful as usual!

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  3. This now has pride of place on my wall next to my laptop (which I'm permanently glued to) - probably the coolest thing that's ever been sent!

    You rock Niroot :)

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    1. Thanks so much, Jon! Your comment has categorically made my day. ;)

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  4. Wonderful!

    I really love your habit of making art as gifts for friends. I would like to, too, but I'm just not confident enough. I'm afraid I'm mistaken about what they like or draw it the wrong way or just am not good enough.

    The last time I made such a gift was years ago, and it might be why I haven't done it since. It was a wedding card for my (now ex) boyfriend's father and his new wife. I was pretty proud of the card, but I doubt the couple even realized it was hand-made. They hardly looked at it before throwing it on the pile.

    Oh well. Maybe I should start again. I sure would love to receive something like your work. :)

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  5. Another great work. I wonder if anyone has ever approached you about designing a tattoo.
    - friendly ichnologist

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