Surreal Paintings of Wildlife Nestled Inside Stones

Maikel van Emmerik was born in 1978 in Oss, a town in the southern part of The Netherlands. As a young boy, he would go hiking with his father which made him interested in the animals and their natural habitats. He paints surreal animal paintings on stones with fine brush strokes and intricate detail that they can easily be mistaken for photographs.

Being a fan of realism his worked has been inspired by the Dutch nature painter Rien Poortvliet and the Belgian artist Carl Brenders. Through painting the artist likes to capture emotions of his subject, for that reason he makes sure the eyes are communicative and focus of his work. 

Owls, rabbits mice, and hedgehogs are depicted with precision that would leave a viewer in awe! These creatures are often peeking at the outside world from their nest inside a rock.

 

"It's my aim to show what a photo struggles to capture. For me, it's always a big challenge to depict the intimacy of nature so accurately that the image captures the attention of the viewer. Being face to face with a wild animal that close! Most people will never get that experience in the wild."

You can view more of his work on Instagram where he also shares his paintings on canvas. Visit his online store for his art available for purchase here.