Rather than digital tools, Gurney used ' plein-air studies, thumbnail sketches, models photographed in costume and original cardboard or clay maquettes' to create 150 oil paintings for his 2007 Dinotopia book. He later decided to create an imaginary island based on these paintings. These were originally done as art prints for collectors. This inspired him to imagine his own, so he painted 'Waterfall City' and 'Dinosaur parade'. Gurney's assignments for National Geographic required him to work with archaeologists to envision and paint ancient cities that no one alive today has ever seen.

Since its original publication, over twenty Dinotopia books have been published by various authors to expand the series.Ī live-action television miniseries, a short-lived live-action TV series, a 2005 animated film, and several video games have also been released.

The first book was published in 1992 and has 'appeared in 18 languages in more than 30 countries and sold two million copies.' Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time and Dinotopia: The World Beneath both won Hugo awards for best original artwork. It is set in the titular Dinotopia, an isolated island inhabited by shipwrecked humans and sapient dinosaurs who have learned to coexist peacefully as a single symbiotic society. The Sharon Arts center offers a wide variety of art classes and programs in the school facility in Sharon, NH.Dinotopia is a series of illustrated fantasy books, created by author and illustrator James Gurney. The mission of the Sharon Arts Center is to engage the community in the artistic process, to support and serve artists and craftspeople, and to foster the relationship between artists and the community through education, exhibitions, and the promotion and sale of arts and crafts as well as through special programs and events. The New Hampshire Institute of Art is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Dedicated faculty promote intellectual and artistic development and teach students to respond artistically to contemporary social, political, and aesthetic issues. Its Certificate Programs and a Continuing Education program attract and engage community members from throughout New England. The Institute offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree drawing undergraduate students from across the United States and Canada. About the NH Institute of Art: Established in 1898 as the Manchester Institute of Arts and Sciences, the New Hampshire Institute of Art has had a firm commitment to educating diverse traditional and nontraditional students in the fine arts.

James gurney national geographic