Contest Submission: Utah-raptor Head Installation

River Hennick

This sculptural installation is a life-sized recreation of a utah-raptor, a carnivorous dinosaur from the early Cretaceous period. It is meticulously hand sculpted, down to the finest details. Luminous yellow eyes breath life into this ancient creature. Sharp scales contrast the soft tongue and feathery neck. I knew texture would be extremely important to capture the spirit of the beast, so each scale was carefully carved into the epoxy foam. An acrylic varnish gives the interior of the mouth, nose and eyes a wet quality. As this kind of raptor was closely related to birds, I found it important to add feather like detailing to the neck with faux fur and dye. The base of the head is made of 2 pound foam coated in Smooth-On's Free Form Air epoxy dough. I referenced many scientific illustrations and photos of the utah-raptor's skull to create this likeness. It is 17"x17"x31.5" large. I learned a lot working at this scale and I hope you enjoy.