Delightful Arts

Enamel Alchemy

2011-03-04T17:07:00.001-03:00

Captivated by the alchemy of colour and versatility of enamel, Ruth Ball creates a wide variety of work. The focus of her interest ranges from fine jewels and objects of silverware, to unique artworks. Her innovative pieces carry an individual style that highlights the potential of enamel as a medium for contemporary design & applied art.

Don't miss her wonderful work.
Click here to visit her site.

Wooden colorful nature

2010-07-22T05:34:00.001-03:00

Emily Wilson's sculptural work is an explanation of themesfound in nature.
Her pieces may include avian,floral, or aquatic elements.

The wooden components are made of basswood and are carved, sanded smooth, and painted in color washes. The steel rod armatures are welded, sandblasted, and painted with layers of color in a pin striping wrap.

Through the color, forms, and visual movement in each of her sculptures it is her desire to present the viewer with an atmosphere of tranquility and optimism.

Wilson has done major commissions for libraries, hospitals and numerous corporate locations.

Knotting Shapes

2010-06-15T01:21:00.000-03:00

Meet artist Merril Morrison, a knotter who makes amazing 3D knotted pieces.

"It started with handcrafts—as a young girl my
mother and grandmother introduced me to embroidery, knitting and
beading."

"Even as I studied graphic design in college,
and worked for many years as a designer, I continued to work with fiber.
My interest evolved from weaving to papermaking and ultimately
knotting."

"There is nothing like the tactile feel of the
threads, as well as the rhythm of making knot after knot, until my
shape takes form. I often incorporate beading to add luster and
texture, which allows me a multitude of possibilities in surface
embellishment."

"My inspirations range from the amazing colors
found in nature to the beaded detail work on a magnificent couture
evening gown.On the most personal level, knotting gives me a chance to
immerse myself in a very peaceful, private meditative process that
allows me to create simple, elegant forms with bold, striking colors."

Butterfly jewelry

2010-04-22T19:50:00.001-03:00

Butterflies symbolically and literally signify rebirth. Neile Cooper helps butterfies achieve an additional transformation. Each of her butterfly pendants emphasizes the beauty of the real butterfly wing it contains. The natural opalescence and bright colors of the wings, in an elegant and protective setting of silver-alloy and glass, create a pendant that will receive comments from admirers each time you wear the piece.

She also has en Etsy shop.

Wood becomes paper becomes wood

2010-04-13T19:26:00.002-03:00

It is truly amazing what one can do with paper. Artist Hannah Lobley works with paper as if it was wood, and creates intriguing lathe works that unveils the secret former soul of her chosen material.

Toothpick Art

2010-03-28T18:21:00.001-03:00

Steven J. Backman has been creating toothpick sculptures since he was a child.

Visit his site to know more about him and his art.

A Paper Craft Castle On the Ocean

2009-07-01T11:56:00.002-03:00

I don't normally link to other posts, but I have to make an exception here, as this is simply amazing. Take a look, you'll be in awe at what can be done with paper and a good sense of artistry.

A Paper Craft Castle On the Ocean « Tokyobling’s Blog

Link

Geeky little animals

2009-06-05T11:25:00.001-03:00

Ann Smith spends her days making little robotic like figurines from broken electronics and machine parts. The sculptures are sold in stores and galleries throughout the US and have been published as illustrations in magazines and brochures.

Visit her site, and see some of these animated. Amazing!

Biotech Lampwork

2009-05-21T08:44:00.001-03:00

This is exquisite and original lampwork you can wear.
The Artist, Kate Fowle, has an impressive career.

Visit her site to see everything!

40 Amazing Eggs

2009-04-04T00:04:00.001-03:00

Easter is coming, and here on Delightful Arts we want to show you a bunch of beautiful eggs made with very different techniques. Not all eggs should be chocolate! Here you have some eggs with style.

Want to see more eggs?

Corrugated Art

2009-03-13T16:00:00.001-02:00

Doodlish jewelry masterpieces

2009-01-12T23:27:00.001-02:00

Well, I have to confess: if there is one thing I love more (or equally) than paper, are doodles and spirals.
I have found Alex Sepkus, whose works are just awesome. Seeing this in such impressively crafted jewelry makes me drool!

Visit Alex Sepkus' site to see all his works.

Pumpkin Art

2008-11-01T18:53:00.003-02:00

For those of you who celebrated Halloween yesterday, here is a selection of amazing pumpkin art, from The Artful Pumpkin Pool at Flickr.

Curvy wood sculptures

2008-10-09T05:11:00.001-03:00

Sculptor Robert Long says:

"Achieving beauty is my foremost goal."

And oh boy does he reach that goal!

"The inspiration for nearly all of my work has its origins in the natural environment. Dried, curling, twisted leaves in the fall, elegant snow drifts of the winter and rock formations sculpted by the elements are just a few references."

"Curved lines have always held a fascination for me over straight lines. I enjoy working a material to its maximum physical and visual potential."

"The aesthetics of both form and material should complement one another and not rely on or compete with one another."

For more wooden beauties, visit his site here.

Paper Color Bursts

2008-10-01T16:55:00.002-03:00

By now I'm sure you can tell I like paper, right? Yes, guilty as charged. I love paper because of its versatility and strength. Yes, paper might not look strong, but it is. You can do a whole lot of different things with it.
Seen by many as the dumb little brother of "better" materials (such as metal, wood, etc.), I think paper has absolutely nothing to envy any of those. But don't worry, I'll make sure you all see for yourselves in our forthcoming paper posts.

This time we present Jen Stark. An artist that simply cut through paper stacks... Simply? Take a look.

Click here to visit her site.

Pencil Carving

2008-09-08T16:35:00.002-03:00

We've enjoyed the great work of Jennifer Maestre not long ago, showing examples of her great pencil sculpture. But how about pencil carving? Oh, my! Take a look at these:

Mizuta Tasogare and Kato Jado carve these with amazing patience and delicacy, for if they are not very careful the whole piece can be ruined.

"To take carving in the wood of a pencil, is certainly what pencil carving is all about. But we are required to be skilled enough for delicate woodwork in carving out a pattern like some kind of a tracery without making any miscut on the naked lead inside."

This is just too much for my brain! What you see above is carved from one single pencil!

Visit the site for more.

3D street art for the people

2008-06-28T19:58:00.001-03:00

Julian Beever is an English Chalk artist who has been creating trompe-l'œil chalk drawings on pavement surfaces since the mid-1990s.

His works are created using a projection called anamorphosis, which create the illusion of three dimensions when viewed from the correct angle.

Besides this pavement art, Beever also paints murals with acrylic paints and replicas of the works of masters and oil paintings, and creates collages.

He works as a freelance performance artist and creates murals for companies. He has worked in the UK, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Spain, the U.S., Australia, Brazil and Argentina.

Link

Pencil Sculpture

2008-06-11T20:40:00.005-03:00

"My sculptures were originally inspired by the form and function of the sea urchin. The spines of the urchin, so dangerous yet beautiful, serve as an explicit warning against contact. The alluring texture of the spines draws the touch in spite of the possible consequences. The tension unveiled, we feel push and pull, desire and repulsion. The sections of pencils present aspects of sharp and smooth for two very different textural and aesthetic experiences. Paradox and surprise are integral in my choice of materials. Quantities of industrially manufactured objects are used to create flexible forms reminiscent of the organic shapes of animals and nature. Pencils are common objects, here, these anonymous objects become the structure. There is true a fragility to the sometimes brutal aspect of the sculptures, vulnerability that is belied by the fearsome texture."

"To make the pencil sculptures, I take hundreds of pencils, cut them into 1-inch sections, drill a hole in each section (to turn them into beads), sharpen them all and sew them together. The beading technique I rely on most is peyote stitch."

"I’m inspired by animals, plants, other art, Ernst Haeckel, Odilon Redon, mythology. In fact, it isn’t easy to specify particular sources of inspiration. Sometimes one sculpture will inspire the next, or maybe I’ll make a mistake, and that will send me off in a new direction."

Link

Book Autopsies

2008-05-21T16:53:00.006-03:00

"Brian Dettmer cuts up books, Carefully slicing away big parts of the pages and covers, he leaves the binding intact and an image or key words on each page. Displayed behind glass in wood-en cases, the layered leaves resemble archaeological strata. Usually he chooses old, unused books. "How often do you use an old atlas compared to the Internet?" he asks. "Nobody's going to learn from a 1940s eye-surgery book." In many of the pieces at Aron Packer, the forms he's chosen highlight the book's content, causing the viewer to reflect on the subject in a new way. The Way Things Work, made from a book of the same title, interweaves machines and gears from various pages into one huge mechanism, with only some of the parts visible. Eye Surgery combines eyes, diagrams of optic nerves, and surgical instruments."

Fred Camper in the Chicago Reader

I recommend reading an interview here.

Because Brian doesn't have a website of his own, I'll link to the Wikipedia page about him, where you'll find most of his work. Link

Wood that works

2008-05-09T20:00:00.006-03:00

"Each of my kinetic sculptures is a wooden machine powered by a constant force spring which must be wound. While visually interesting sculptures when still, they become truly fascinating when in motion. After a simple winding they entertain with motion and soft sounds for varying lengths of time."

That's right. With no batteries and no electricity, David C. Roy creates these incredible moving sculptures made out of wood. The intricacy and visual appeal of his beautiful sculptures is unparalleled.Be sure to read the history of his work and how he started making these amazing creations.

If you're curious (and who isn't!), here is a page describing his techniques.

I strongly recommend you visit the site and see each sculpture page for yourself. Most have an animation showing how the motion looks. You won't regret.

Link

Elegant egg carvings

2008-03-06T02:47:00.005-02:00

Don't miss this incredible egg carver's work.

Varied styles for an intricate technique that shows a delicacy only comparable with the fragility of the material: real eggs from different animals.

You'll even find a description of how the eggs are carved and the patience and care the technique requires.

Link

From the plane

2008-02-29T13:43:00.005-02:00

Peter Callesen lifts his sculptures from the plane. Turns what we might perceive as empty spaces into something always meaningful. Even the remnants of the skin are part of the work of art. He incorporates every aspect of the media he works with into the work.

He says: “A common theme in many of my works is a reinterpretation of classical fairytales as well as a more general interest in memory in connection to childhood - for instance in my performances Castle, Folding and Jukebox. These playful performances exist in the lost land of childhood, between dream and reality and it is in this meeting or confrontation of these two conditions, in a kind of utopian embodiment, that these works of art become alive, often in a tragicomic way.

This interest for the romantic is extended in my later exhibitions White Shadows at Esbjerg Art Museum and From dust to dusk, but here with less focus on the confrontation between dream and reality leaving more space for the poetic aspect as well as the possibility of a reality behind or within the dream.”

He works small as well as big. He has made A4 papercuts as well as big installations around the world.

Check his extensive work and biography.

Music inspired wood sculpture

2008-02-12T04:28:00.000-02:00

This sculptor seems to make the wood bend with the sound of music.

He depicts concepts so clearly and beautifully with his music-inspired sculptures that you just can't stop staring at the art pieces.

He also makes furniture, the kind that seems to love dancing.

Link

Handimals - animals painted on hands

2008-01-31T02:59:00.000-02:00

Look at the incredible paintings of Guido Daniele, an Italian painter who isn't afraid to lay his brushes on people's bodies.

In this case, people's hands. It's incredible how amazing they look. helped by the dimension the real hands give them, these paintings seem alive.

If you want to see these and many more incredible hand paintings full size, check his website.

Link

Read your wrist

2008-01-26T07:18:00.000-02:00

Holly Anne Mitchell was earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from The University of Michigan and had a project to create a piece of jewelry without using any traditional materials: no metal, precious/semi-precious stones, etc. She chose Newspaper because of the Bright Colors and Rich Textural Patterns of the Sunday Comics.
The idea stuck with her and she has been creating Newspaper Jewelry ever since!

This is what the site begins telling us about this creative artist that turned what we usually think of as garbage into wearable art. And it's paper! Newspaper!

She has created different lines of products made out of different newspaper's sections, like comic strips, sudoku puzzles, stock listings or even expired coupons.

Link