Whimsical Soft Sculptures Made from Recycled Fabrics

Hi everyone! I can't believe another week has just gone by. Before I wrap up for the weekend let me introduce you to the adorable whimsical creatures by Made by Swimmer. The team of two sisters - Jo and Sue - with a passion for sewing create a collection of soft sculptures using recycled and vintage fabrics.

To construct these lovable creatures they collect fabrics from their local second hand stores and flea markets. The duo is inspired by the childhood memories, toys, cartoons and storybook characters. Their unique products are entirely handmade with at least 90% of recycled materials, and finished with hand knitted applique detailing and embroidered features. These darlings will make a great gift for someone who loves folk inspired, timeless fabric sculptures. You can find more of their work in their online store - Made by Swimmer.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Shivani

Watercolor Paintings by Ingrid Costa

Ingrid Costa is a a designer and a visual artist from Brazil who currently lives in Germany. She earned her graduate degree in Graphic Design in Visual Art and Culture at the Faculty of Visual Arts and Masters in the Postgraduate Program from the Federal University of Goiás. She creates these amazing watercolor paintings inspired by natural history and botany. Her artwork is painted in deep, saturated color palette on a plain light colored background which makes her subject matter pop. She paints a wide variety of creatures from the animal kingdom but moths, butterflies, insects, mushrooms and owls are the recurring theme in her work. Ingrid's work has loads of fine details and precision, the fur and scales of the creatures are painted with fine strokes makes them look so real.

You can find more of her work and contact her for any questions related to her work on Instagram.

Things Out of Time Created by Artist Mariya Aitkaliyeva

Mariya Aitkaliyeva of Things Out of Time is a mixed media artist from Kazakhstan. She creates unusual and unique soft sculptures using fabric, tree branches, papier mache, and beads.

The dolls are constructed entirely by hand, stitched and painted by the artist. Her work is not cutesy in the conventional sense of the word but they are still absolutely adorable, they won my heart the moment I set my eyes on them. The sculptures are made with amazing details show casing the artist's craftsmanship and her love for the craft. These creatures seem to be from cabinet of curiosities that will be cherished for generations to come.

3D Wood Carved Sculptures Inspired by Japanese Culture

Ai Kikuchi also known as Kikuchikouran is a Japanese artist. She graduated from Sapporo Teine High School and at the same time studied wood carving and Buddhist sculpture making under Buddhist priest Koun Seki. She also studied Buddhist painting under the Korin Saito and calligraphy from Asako Tsunekawa.

The artist hand-carves stunning imagery using only the traditional manual tools. Most of the subjects Ai Kikuchi carves are inspired by Japanese culture. Her sculptures are usually raw and unpainted, carved into natural wood. There is incredible attentional to detail and intricacy in the sculptures. The final pieces are raised above the surface and have a three dimensional feel to them.

She has participated in several solo exhibitions and have been commissioned for painting a ceiling inside the Amidado. She is currently a member of Japan Wood Sculpture Association. You can view more of her work and what's she working on presently on Instagram.