Etching and photopolymer intaglio, 2017

“Ammonites are relatively common in North America. They were occupants of the former Bearpaw Sea that once washed what is now the centre of the continent in warm and shallow water. In Southern Alberta, river valleys have carved into the Bearpaw Formation and revealed a plethora of fascinating extinct organisms.”

This print was made in commission for the Heritage Art Series.

“The Heritage Art Series is a collaboration of the Historic Resources Management Branch, the University of Alberta, and the Royal Alberta Museum. Each artwork shares an important story about the people of our province: we hope it fosters a greater awareness of our past and instils a deeper respect for it. The etching below is by Calgary artist Eveline Kolijn and appropriately captures the wonderful complexity of the ammonite story in Alberta. Reconstructed ammonites swim with contemporary creatures that spill across the septa of a split ammonite shell. Diatoms (tiny and intricate aquatic organisms that reveal environmental conditions to palaeontologists) float against a backdrop of cliffs in southern Alberta.”

Read more on this series and the wonderful story of Ammonites in Alberta, in the article: Rainbow Fossils and Bison Calling