Minimalist Charcoal Drawings by Ileana Hunter

Romanian artist Ileana Hunter creates these detailed minimalist pencil portraits.





"Simplicity and concision are inherent to my artwork. My compositions are minimal and the subject matter offers itself stripped of embellishment to the viewer."









Check her website: http://ileanahunter.deviantart.com/ and http://www.etsy.com/people/IleanaHunter

Crayon Sculptures by Diem Chau

Seattle artist Diem Chau carved delicate sculptures of animals and people on colored crayons.



"After art school I was doing research into American folk art where people sit and whittle. I had a box of crayons sitting on my desk and I started carving on them, and it was wonderful. The wax was soft, easy to carve, and as soon as I made a cut, there was a facet to the crayon. It was nice and shiny, just like a gem."



This Northwest Natives Alphabet Set is a collection of 52 individually carved crayons representing every letter of the alphabet along with an associated word starting with each letter.



A is for Aquilegia (Columbine)
B is for Bald Eagle
C is for Cougar
D is for Dogwood
E is for Elk
F is for Fox
G is for Grizzly Bear

Diem Chau completed the artworks for an exhibition at the G. Gibson Gallery in Seattle.



H is for Heron
I is for Iris
J is for Juniper
K is for Killer Whale
L is for Lynx
M is for Mountain Goat

"Since the show is in the Pacific Northwest I thought I'd make a tribute to my neck of the woods. Every letter is paired with species that is native to the PNW (Pacific Northwest). It was a really fun project to put together and learned a lot about the local wild life... X and Z were especially hard to find."



N is for Northern Spotted Owl
O is for Otter
P is for Painted Turtle
Q is for Quinault Tribe
R is for Rhododendron
S is for Salmon
T is for Timberwolf



U is for Urchin
V is for Viola
W is for Wolf Eel
X is for Xanthogrammica (Giant Green Anemone)
Y is for Yuma myotis (Vesper Bat)
Z is for Zapus princeps (Western Jumping Mouse)





Check her website: http://www.diemchau.com/ and http://tinyhaus.blogspot.sg/

Ceramic Sculptures by Christopher David White

Young American sculptor Christopher David White created ceramic sculptures that look impeccably like real wood.



"I utilize trompe l’oeil as a stylistic choice to emphasize the concept that our understanding of the world is an illusion."



"For me, there is a peace that can be found in even the simplest things – a decaying piece of wood, rusted metal, crumbling brick, the growth of moss and lichen. These ordinary elements within our environments offer both visual and physical reminders of our connection with nature."



"I am inspired by the small, overlooked aspects of our environment, finding enjoyment in the unexpected discoveries that come from simply being observant of the minutia and incorporating those mundane forms into my work. In my observations I also see similarities between the processes that occur in nature and those that drive us. By combining both human and natural elements within my work, I hope to highlight the fact that we are not separate from nature, but are in fact part of it, and in being so, we are as impermanent as a flash of lightning in the sky."



"Through the use of trompe l’oeil, we look closer; we rediscover the amazement, joy, and tranquility that come from our environment. At the same time, we witness our impermanence by evenhandedly dialing in on decay. Neither good nor bad, decay is simply a natural process of our world that at times can produce deeply moving and beautiful effects."







Check his website: http://christopherdavidwhite.com/

Creative Remakes of The World Map

Artist: Johnny Christmas

London-based photographer and printmaker Johnny Christmas made this world map using pills, called 'Global Pharmacy'.

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"Global Pharmacy shows, on average, the amount of pills consumed a year for a male living in the UK."

Artist: Chris Chamberlain

London IT worker Chris Chamberlain spent two years piecing together a giant mosaic of Earth made with 330,000 hand-cut pieces of stained glass and 1238 jewels totalling 260 carats, called 'Jewel of the Universe'.



Chris uses NASA satellite photos of Earth for his 320cm x 220cm x 12cm mosaic and took him 2 years to finish. He then glued the pieces one by one onto a thick sheet of perspex with a pair of tweezers. Zircons mark the world’s top 100 cities, Rubies and emeralds mark the spiritual cities, while major rivers are represented by hundreds of tiny turquoise-coloured glass pieces. The artwork then framed using 80,000 pieces of black stained glass and illuminated from within by 800 high-power, eco-friendly LEDs.



"I've always had an interest in art but I can't paint and I can't draw. But I can cut glass and I think I've invented a new kind of artwork which hopefully I and others can expand on."



"It's my first ever artwork and it's pretty much taken over my life. I made it in my garage during my spare time - my wife has hardly seen me over the last couple of years."



Chris is trying to sell his magnificent artwork on eBay for £250,000 ($380,000). The proceeds from the sale will go toward funding humanitarian projects in Sierra Leone.



“Since visiting Sierra Leone 11 years ago, right after its civil war, I vowed to help it – in my own creative way. Tried twice and failed. Then divine inspiration struck: why not make a huge artwork, a new type of art, in praise of what may well be the most wonderful planet in the universe, and try to make it attractive enough that someone would invest a good amount of money in it? And if it sells, if I’m offered just a fraction of what I’m asking, then I’ll use the money to start a fair trade arts co-operative in Sierra Leone. And the buyer is welcome to head out there with me and join in with some of the projects I’m trying to help. It might be the adventure of a lifetime.”



All images are © Copyright of Chris Chamberlain

Check his website: http://www.jeweloftheuniverse.net/

Source: standardtimespress

Artist: Susan Stockwell

UK-based artist Susan Stockwell creates a gigantic world map made from recycled computer components for the University of Bedfordshire, entitled 'World'.



She uses motherboards, electrical wiring, fans, and myriad other components donated by Secure IT Recyclingfor her artwork.

Check her website: http://www.susanstockwell.co.uk/

Artist: Hypersonic Engineering & Design, Plebian Design, and Chris Parlato

This Global Data Chandelier is a custom light fixture commissioned by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.



It consists of 425 pendant lamps that form a map of the world and glows in time with different global data sets such as GDP growth rate, renewable water resources, and energy consumption. Each data set is paired with a unique lighting animation







Check out the video below to see the lighting patterns in action.



Artist: Ai Weiwei

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has created a map of China made from more than 1,800 cans of baby formula, entitled 'Baby Formula 2013'.

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The 10m x 8m artwork uses 1,815 full cans of seven brands of milk powder, reflecting the controversy over mainland demand for milk powder.

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"The piece is related to several problems. One is the recent ban on mainland residents buying milk powder and bringing it back to China, and then there is the issue of why Chinese mainlanders go to Hong Kong to buy milk powder. We know that on the mainland food safety is a very serious problem. It largely related to a lack of supervision and moral decay within industry. Hong Kong people make profits from these problems, and are also victims."

David Cata Sews Portraits Into His Palms

Spanish artist David Cata uses the palms of his hands as a canvas to stitch portraits of his family, friends and girlfriend for his project 'Overexposed Emotions'.



“Every people we meet makes us in some way. Their image projects on us, reminding us where we came from. Their lives turn into a part of ours. Every stitch over my skin represent them.”



"By sewing into the palm of my hand I paint the faces of the people that have left their mark on my life: family, friends, partners, teachers."



"Their lives have been interwoven with mine to build my history."



“Every moment lived stays in the memory to be finally forgotten. Somehow, this fact is painful, since there are only material things and traces that people leave behind.”




“Physical pain is not a boundary. It unites us more by thinking that my hand has been marked, by thinking that, at that time, my hand has touched their hand.”



Using a needle he only embroiders the top layer of his skin.



Each portrait takes about four hours to complete. After completing each picture David picks the needlework out of his hand before starting on the next one.





Check his website: http://davidcata.com/

Flexible Paper Sculptures by Li Hongbo

Beijing artist Li Hongbo creates these incredible flexible sculptures made of thousands of layers of soft white paper.



The idea comes from traditional Chinese paper decorative technique that can be found in decorations and toys known as ‘paper gourd', made from glued layers of thin paper which can be stored flat but when pulled, may be extended into a proper shape.



The artist strategically placed lines of glue to join thousands of paper sheets into units which are then carved into realistic shapes.











Check out the video below, each piece can be pulled and stretched to reveal the individual sheets of paper it comprises.

Realistic Wood Carving by Randall Rosenthal

Long Island, N.Y., based artist Randall Rosenthal created these jaw-dropping wood sculptures made of Vermont white pine and acrylic paint.



"The sculptures I create have no meaning other than trying to create a very strong visual image. I have my own reasons why I think it works but I prefer other meanings are provided by the viewer."



"I don't work from photos and mostly there is no model either. Generally they are made up in my minds eye and created in a reductive process, making it up as I go."



"My hope is they will seem real from a short distance the fact that they are common objects helps in this regard. But on close inspection I don't try and hide the fact they are wood."



"Most dimensions and angles are freehand. My thinking is if it looks right to me its right enough. Because of this they are NOT hyper- realistic but only give the illusion of being so."



"My work is completely reductive. I start with a solid block and remove material until it is done."



"Painting is the opposite and I paint until I am satisfied. It should be noted however that often the painting has as little room for error as the carving. I am a surfer and a snowboarder and the physical challenge of my work is an important component."



For this box of money, Randall Rosenthal takes three pieces of white pine and glues them together.









Check his website: www.randallrosenthal.com

Source: rh+artmagazine.