I am so humbled by the continued support and interest that all of you wonderful backers have shown in me and my project!  I waited to post this update, just in case I was reading my Kickstarter screen incorrectly: have I really exceeded my goal, still with two and a half weeks to go?   What a great feeling to know that I will actually get to realize my plans and create a digital Dryptosaurus!  Thank you all so much!

The public dissemination of science and paleontology is an important issue for me.  Through my art, I contribute to this dissemination by translating discoveries and research into readily understood visual interpretations.  Yet it has bothered me that I haven't been able to contribute my skills to more paleontological projects - both because my traditional sculpture can be very time consuming, limiting the number of works that I can physically create in a given timeframe, and also because as a labor and material intensive effort it can be costly, beyond the grasp of underfunded researchers or institutions. Now that I have reached my goal and will venture into digital sculpture, I would like to make an additional effort to do more for paleontology.  At the annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (mid October, 2012), I will be donating my services for one digital reconstruction to the live auction, with the proceeds going to the Fossil Preparator's Grant.  My hope is that a researcher, small museum, or even a student might have the winning bid, for which I'll collaborate to create a visually striking Zbrush reconstruction of their specimen, for use in a forthcoming press release, presentation or paper... in some small way giving back to the field that continues to give so much inspiration to me!