Surreal Paintings Inspired by Wildlife by Artist Vanessa Foley

UK based contemporary artist Vanessa Foley paints birds with mind-boggling details. I blogged her about her work on the blog previously here. Her work is done primarily in rich color palette, despite the dark colors the delicate brush strokes bring delicacy to her stunning birds. She has painted all sorts of birds for her ongoing series including owls, herons, hornbills, vultures, and many more.

Her paintings are regularly shown at galleries all around in the UK and USA, and her work is in private collections worldwide. She is presently a member of The VACVVM, an international cult of illustrators co-founded by Aaron Horkey & Mitch Putnam.

She releases her affordable originals online twice a year. Since these pieces get sold quickly you can subscribe to the mailing list for an exclusive notification for these events. Visit this page for details on how to be on the list.

Chicken Metal Mesh Turned Into Large Sculptures by Ivan Lovatt

Ivan Lovatt is a sculptor who has been creating sculpture for over 14 years for private collections, corporations and public exhibition.

He initially started with driftwood and reclaimed timber rendered into birds and wildlife. He is constantly experimenting with various mediums and exploring new ways for creating unique artwork. He now uses galvanized chicken wire to create large animal sculptures. 

He creates these sculptures using different gauges of wire that are twisted, layered, and shaped into extraordinary masterpieces. His sculptures can range in size anywhere from 30 cm to 3 metres in height.

Besides animal sculptures, Ivan has been commissioned to create a series of portraits of famous people including Albert Einstein, John Lennon, and Sir Edmund Hillary. He has won numerous awards and has also created series of portraits for Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museums in the USA, London and Australia.

Beautiful Contemporary Textile Art Combined With Ancient Weaving Techniques by Julie Robert

Julie Robert aka Julie Weaves is a textile designer whose work is created with a combination of ancient techniques of weaving, embroidery, lockstitch and punch needle. After studying Fine Art in Toulon where she experimented with painting and photography, she worked as a costume designer for film and advertising.

In 2013 during a trip to Iceland, Julie discovered contemporary weaving style and upon returning home she continued exploring the new methods of weaving. 

Julie creates textile paintings, murals, decorative wall pieces, cushions, and toys using wool, silk, and other fabrics. Her work is generally created in soft, natural colors with a feel of lightness to them.

She has published four books and travels around the world to show her work. She conducts classes and workshops throughout the year so the beginners as well as those with experience have access to the art form. 

You can learn about her work by following her on Instagram. Her pieces available for purchase can be found in her online store - Julie Weaves.

Three Dimensional Fabric Sculptures by Linda Fjeldsted Blust

Linda Fjeldsted Blust is a textile artist living in the high desert near Reno, Nevada. She learnt to sew as a child from her grandmother and has been working with fabric for several years making everything from Christmas stockings to ballroom dance costumes. She studied art in college and always wanted to make her creations into artwork. Currently, she is making three dimensional fabric sculptures of "crazy critters'.

Since 2014, Linda has dedicated her time to making animal fabric sculptures inspired by her surroundings. "​I am inspired by the wildlife and natural beauty that surrounds me. Our house is located across the street from a creek, and not far from a wetlands sanctuary. Coyotes and wild horses wander through the neighborhood. Pelicans, Canada geese, ducks, egrets and herons nest nearby, and our backyard feeders attract quail, chickadees, gold finches, yellowhead and redwing blackbirds and flickers, while hawks, owls and eagles fly overhead." 

She mainly sculpts birds, she watches the ones in the wild for hours and tries to capture their personalities in her work. Each sculpture is made out wire that's bent into animal shapes, that are stuffed and covered into colorful pieces of twisted fabric and decorated with rhinestones, buttons, feathers, and silk flowers.

You can find the original bird sculptures in her online store at Wild Things.