Don Bradley is an artist, an engineer, and a collector of paleo antiquities.  He lives and works on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula of Washington state.  At home, in his studio, he transforms “Jurassic Park” dinosaur bone fossils into exquisite pieces of art to display and wear.

He creates his “paleo lithic art” by cutting and polishing cross sections of dinosaur bone, creating sculpture pieces and shimmery gem-quality stones.  His artistic presentations feature gem material mounted in unusual settings like bronze castings of skeletal fossils.  He also uses stainless steel and exotic woods from around the world.

Don’s fascination with dinosaur fossils started with a childhood interest in Paleontology.  He also had a curiosity about petrified wood.  His father, who worked in the lumber industry, took him on field trips in Eastern Washington where they explored formations and learned about fossilized trees.

In the 1990s Don began purchasing dinosaur fossils from the estate collections of several “old timers” who were dinosaur bone enthusiast from the 1940’s.  Don’s collection now ranges from small, fragile bone slices to full-size bones.   One Camarasaurus bone is a six-foot-long femur that weighs about 500 pounds.  As a point of interest, the Camarasaurus is one of many sauropods, the huge long-necked, long-tailed, leaf-eating dinosaurs that have been featured in Hollywood movies and the subject of children’s imaginations and scientists’ curiosity for years.

Looking for ways to showcase these marvelous specimens, Don learned lapidary techniques and experimented with metal casting, woodworking and stone polishing.  He also formed relationships with fellow artists who have shared their collaborative expertise. As a result, he has developed his exotic, paleo lithic art.

He offers his one-of-a-kind creations for sale through his studio and develops customized pieces on commission.  With its strong elements of cultural and geo-historical interest, his unusual and attractive art is ideal for museum gift shops and for display in upper-end homes, hotels and offices.