Don Bradley’s art displays his virtuosity and acuity for transforming boring-looking “rocks” into gallery showpieces and shimmering gems for jewelry.  The “rocks” are actually genuine dinosaur bones.  Petrified and preserved, they are some of the rarest fossil specimens in the world.

Cutting them reveals vibrantly colored gembone infused with a galaxy of minerals – hematite, amethyst, opal, jasper and more.  Some specimens have pockets of quartz and/or calcite crystals.  Like snowflakes, no two pieces of gembone are alike.

Sometimes Don polishes only a plane of the fossil, leaving the outside rough and uncut.  Other times he creates a shape or a sphere that is polished to perfection.  When the gemstone is complete, Don creates a multi-media sculpture to display it.

He uses bronze castings, stainless steel supports and exotic wood selected for its decorative veneer.  The wood adds a rich, natural dimension.  One of his sculptures is floor-mounted, with a complete dinosaur bone almost five feet long.  A current larger project features a 200-pound all natural complete Camarasaurus humerus mounted on steel arches over a gleaming, 6-inch-thick complete cross-section of a giant sequoia.  Other smaller pieces are about 24 inches long and perfect for an étagère.

Don’s sculptures are for those who appreciate novelty in high-end art.  Whether gracing the foyer of an office building or serving as the ultimate accent in home décor, his distinctive creations are revered for their originality and treasured for their prehistoric value.