Simply Creative

Thumbtacks Portrait by Andre Woolery

Artist Andre Woolery created large-scale portraits of black icons using thousands of thumbtacks.

"I want to create a wide prism of Blackness that beams light in all directions. Too often Black is oversimplified into a racialized cube or windowpane that absorbs its multidimensional nature. I want to challenge this flat representation through emboldened imagery, injecting blackness into “white” space, generating discourse, and pushing boundaries of mediums as a tool to push the boundaries of Blackness."

"My subject matter is the exploration of Black identity, culture and history."

"I originally sat in my apt/studio looking for materials that had vibrant colors and considered cereal as my medium. Luckily I moved away from Toucan Sam when I found a mixed color pack of thumbtacks."

Check his website: http://www.andrewooleryart.com/

Gum Art by Ben Wilson

Britain painter Ben Wilson painstakingly turned ugly patches of flattened chewing gum on Britain's pavements into art, using tiny brushes, a lighter to quick-drying his work, and clear lacquer to seals it.

“I grew up in an artistic environment where anything was possible. My mother was an illustrator and my father did ceramics as well as painting. When I was about two, I started working with clay. I was always encouraged to go in the direction that I wanted.”

“My work would evolve out of the place in which I was working. Rather than imposing the idea on the place, the idea would come out of the place.”

He developed a technique in which he softens the gum with a blowtorch, sprays it with lacquer and then applies three coats of acrylic enamel.

Marker and Pen Portrait by Elfan Diary

Indonesian artist Elfan Diary draws a beautiful portrait using Fine Color markers, a Sakura Pigma Micron pen, and standard Faber-Castell colored pencils over a period of about three hours.

Check his website: http://elfandiary.tumblr.com/

Classic Muscle Cars Paintings by Cheryl Kelley

Texas-based painter Cheryl Kelley creates outstandingly photorealistic oil paintings of classic muscle cars using oil paint with a high gloss varnish to mimic the reflective surface of a car.

“The first thing that I am drawn to is the beauty. I find myself getting lost in the reflections of beautiful cars when I stop at traffic lights.”

"These big engine cars, seemingly fueled by raw testosterone, were ironically most definitely feminine in form. As a twentieth century American icon, the muscle car is remembered for its speed and power. My paintings are about the feminine sensuality of the surfaces, the Mel Ramos-like perfection of female form.”

"My work could be called photo - based realism. I work from photographs that I take at car shows and museums. The images are manipulated and become somewhat more real in the painting than their photographic predecessor."

"I use oil on canvas because I believe it is the most sensual of all mediums and it allows me the freedom to have varying techniques within my work. My brush strokes range from very tight and smoothly blended to very loose and expressive to create an illusion of openness and depth. My surfaces are smooth and a high gloss varnish is used to mimic the surface of a car. These works can appear both photo realistic and gesturally abstract depending on the position of the viewer which seems to me to be a perfect metaphor for the American Dream in all its complexity."

Check her website: http://www.cherylkelley.com/

Exquisite Paper Flowers by Frances & Francis

These beautiful flowers are handcrafted by paper craft brand Frances & Francis, using just paper and then attached to actual twigs.

Frances & Francis is run by UK-based designer-maker Helen Dennis who lives in north of London in St. Albans.

Check her Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FrancesandFrancis

Fun With Fruit by Elisa Roche

Banana artist Elisa Roche transforms bananas into amazing works of art.

She created 'Fun With Fruit', an Instagram page dedicated to her banana art.

Check for more: https://instagram.com/funwithfruit/

Firecrackers Stuffed Animals by Felipe Barbosa

Rio, Brazil-based artist Felipe Barbosa created these adorable stuffed animals made of firecrackers.

"I don't change the nature of the object. I want to have it as raw as possible, so that what you know about the object becomes part of the understanding of the work I create."