This was the first of what became my 'Triceratops Dream' series. The green ‘shield’ is created from a fractal image. This was generated from my original photograph of a head of a triceratops. The process threw up a surface which appeared to have fossil stones in it and matched perfectly the theme I was developing! The fossil skull was then superimposed to give a surreal and heraldic feel.

There are moments when science and beauty align with startling clarity. Encountering the fossilized skull of a triceratops at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden was one of them. Its presence—massive, weathered, and exquisitely detailed—left a lasting impression that led to a series of montage artworks exploring the meeting point of natural history and digital design. In this piece, a photograph of the skull was processed through a fractal algorithm, using the fossil itself as source material. The result revealed complex, stone-like patterns that echo the deep time from which the fossil emerged. What emerged feels both ancient and algorithmic—an interplay of biology, geology, and generative form. The work reflects resilience: of the fossil, of scientific endeavour, and of art’s capacity to reimagine the past. It invites reflection on transformation—and on the quiet, enduring power found when disciplines collide.