TINA MAMMOSER

Belemnite fossils found by me at Saltwick Bay near Whitby

The fossilized part is the back end of the creature – it’s rostrum or guard. This area was used to balance bouyancy while the squid-like animal was floating or moving. The belemnite was related to the ammonite and is a distant relative of modern-day squids.

The softly rounded points and curved sides of the belemnite fossils make them a great object for drawing, and quick single-item still life sketches which I sometimes do either first thing for the day or in the evening while I wind down.

Wee belemnite in my artist sketchbook

I included belmnites in my book Saltwick: An Artist’s Notebook because they are so abundant at Saltwick Bay. Often the ‘bullets’ can be found loosely scattered amongst the large boulders on the shale beach. The odd single fossils can also be found further from Whitby, at Scarborough and even as far as Bridlington.

Pieces of belemnite fossil can be found all around the boulders and shoreline of Saltwick and Whitby.

“Battlefields” of belemnites (named for their bullet-like shape) are thought to be either mass graves, remains of “scours” where they were swept together by tides or currents, or even fossilized fecal dropping or stomach contents from larger animals that ate them.

Photo of me at Black Nab, low tide. Image by Andrew Shaylor

I’ve taken the physical shape of the fossils and the landscapes of the fissile shale in which they’re found into the finished artwork, too, usually in the geology drawing series. They are inspiration for wonderful curving, undulating geometric patterns.

“Bullet Shale”, original drawing on plywood

While the small belemnites themselves aren’t in my paintings, the large scale structures built with them are a constant fascination. Black Nab appears over and over again in my large paintings on canvas – a dark body holding the Jurassic history of these creatures and their environment.

“September”, 100cm x 100cm acrylic on canvas – available direct from the studio, contact me to enquire

If you’ve enjoyed my story of belemnites and want to learn more there is great information about the fossil and the animals on the British Geological Survey website here.