Jan Huling Transforms Found Objects Into Masterpieces with Colorful Beads

Jan Huling is a self-proclaimed bead artist who makes amazing sculptures out of found objects that get covered them with colorful tiny little beads. Her work is inspired by indigenous cultures, mythologies, pop culture, colorful Indian patterns and Mexican art.

"Through surface design and elaborate patterns, she recontextualizes familiar objects, masking original forms to add whimsy and transform the mundane into something special." via

Initially she made small scale objects such as kazoos and now she has moved on to creating life size sculptures of animals, dolls, toys, and mannequins. She never makes any sketch or drawing before beginning to work, she just dives into the process. She calls it free range beading! She works with an air pen to place beads, gluing them down by the row along with buttons, coins, tokens, and similar found objects. She creates her signature artwork from her studio across from the Hudson River in New York.

Her work has been featured in 500 Beaded Jewelry as well as on HGTV. She won the first annual Lyons Wier Bazaar award in 2009. Her work is in several galleries including the Duane Reed Gallery in Missouri, Porter Contemporary in NYC and the J. Willott Gallery in Palm Desert, CA.

Ceramic Sculptures by Simon Griffiths

Simon Griffiths is a sculptor presently living and working in the North Pennines, UK. He spent a lot of time as a child exploring woods near his home and drawing the creatures that he stumbled across. He sculpts animals and birds that come from his imagination and long hours spent observing them in their natural habitat.

Each sculpture is constructed on an armature with crank clay. He sculpts his pieces with his fingers, using tools only to add details. All sculptures once bisque fired undergo several more firings followed with layers of oxides, stains and under glazes to achieve the required textures and depth of color.

His work has been exhibited in many galleries and exhibitions in the UK as well as abroad. You can follow him on Facebook for upcoming events and new work.

Delightful Characters Illustrated by Karen Tanaka Obuhanych

Karen Tanaka Obuhanych is an illustrator and an artist based in Waikoloa, Hawaii. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her artwork feature delightful characters and creatures that seem to be perfect for children's books. She has illustrated a whole array of adorable designs including flying owl, fishing cat, swimming turtle, sleeping kitten and more in bright colors and rich textures. "Nature presents little gifts of joy in amazing compositions and brilliant color every day. Karen strives to capture these moments in each painting."

You can follow her on Instagram for new work. To see her available prints visit her online store Kto Art.

Whimsical Ceramic Collection by Ukrainian Artist Julia Osoka

Julia Osoka is a ceramic artist based in Ukraine. The artist creates plates, bowls, spoons and mugs with whimsical illustrations. Each ceramic is hand-painted with nature inspired designs featuring owls, rabbits, birds, and mice framed with floral wreaths.

The ceramic pieces are created using the milk glazing technique also known as milk firing. The process involves soaking the piece in milk before firing. The process makes the item water resistant preventing the colors from fading over time and smooth to touch. You can learn more about Julia's work work on Instagram where she also regularly shares her new creations.

Layered Paper Animal Portraits by Hannah Ellingwood

 

"Inspired by printmaking and negative space but lacking the correct equipment, I began experimenting with cutting and layering paper" shares Hannah Ellingwood on her website.

New Hampshire based paper artist Hannah Ellingwood creates amazing layered paper artwork. She uses surgical scalpel to intricately hand cut feathers, skin, fur and scales of her subject. Hannah is a self-taught artist who is also passionate about wildlife. She shows her love for the animals and birds through her wildlife portraits. She spends hours observing these beings in their natural habitat and national parks.

Her work can be found in form of vinyl stickers, greeting cards, magnets, buttons and shadow lamps in her online store.