The Amazing Stuff

You could say that the artwork of Nikolai Tolstyh is collaborative, since he uses the natural beauty around him to color his pieces — and we mean that literally.

Tolstyh cuts out the silhouettes of various animals from white paper, and then hunts down the perfect backdrops to fill them in.

He usually chooses backgrounds that resemble the natural coloring of the animal.

He used fallen leaves to mimic the feathers of this little owl.

Pockmarked wood is reminiscent of this beaver’s favorite pastime.

By placing the outlines over natural backgrounds, Tolstyh invites us to see our surroundings in a totally new way.

The idea is relatively simple, and Tolstyh says that he’s inspired by the beauty of nature, as well as by the practice of turning one thing into something else entirely. “I was inspired by nature,” he says, “and its colors [and] unusual textures. If you use your imagination, you can easily see a fox in [a] yellow bush and [a deer in tree branches].”

Depending on where he holds the paper, the images change in color, texture, and pattern.

The possibilities are endless!

By peering at the world through a cutout, we see things in a whole new light.

Tolstyh’s art challenges us to take stock in things that we normally take for granted.

(via My Modern Met)

You can see more of Tolstyh’s cutouts, as well as plenty of beautiful photos from his walks through nature, on Instagram.

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Using only paper and light, Harikrishna Panickerof and Deepti Nair, the artists who make up Hari & Deepti, create stunning, mystical worlds.

By carefully cutting out layers of paper and arranging them into three-dimensional settings, they create richly textured worlds. Add some light behind them, and the paper layers take on an otherworldly glow, casting shadows that make the scenes come to life.

Originally hailing from Denver, the artist duo and real-life couple recently relocated to Mumbai, and have just installed their first European show in Oslo, Norway.

Their shows are held in darkened galleries that are only lit by the works themselves. The effect is ethereal and engaging.

Even without light, the dioramas are impressive.

Despite the stark whiteness of the paper, these designs are intricate and detailed.

The pair likes working with paper because of its nearly endless possibilities. According to the artists, “Paper is brutal in its simplicity as a medium. It demands the attention of the artist while it provides the softness they need to mold it into something beautiful. It is playful, light, colorless, and colorful. It is minimal and intricate.”

This project was created with Norwegian advertising company Anorak for Starbucks and Fairtrade Norge.

While many of their topics are mystical scenes, they appreciate pop culture, too.

This shot shows the amount of painstaking work that goes into each project.

(via Colossal)

You can see much more of this creative couple’s work on Facebook and Instagram. They also have a website in the works, so be sure to check back in a bit and see the completed site!

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John Duncan loves living in Charleston, South Carolina, because of all the beautiful historical buildings in the area. Not only do they give the city character, but they also inspire Duncan’s artwork.

Duncan creates unbelievably accurate miniature models of homes, churches, and public buildings, and the only things he uses to do so are paper and a knife. Although they look like they were made with a computer, everything you see here was made by hand.

First, Duncan decides which house or building he wants to recreate, and takes some reference photos.

He draws up detailed plans, just like you would when designing a home.

He then cuts out all the components of the structure using papers of varying thickness.

For the amount of detail in these pieces, they’re actually quite small. They’re normally about 20 inches wide.

The main elements are cut from thick paper, while the smaller details are cut from thinner, more delicate material.

Each measurement needs to be precise so that every piece fits together properly.

There are a ton of individual parts.

“No detail is overlooked. From louvered shutters to and individual bricks, an exact replica of the building is built piece by piece,” Duncan says.

Duncan uses watercolors to add the finishing touches.

If you didn’t know better, you might think that this was a photo of a real house!

He even added sand to wet paint to create the appearance of stucco.

The landscaping makes it look even more realistic.

Each leaf, petal, and blade of grass is individually cut out and painted.

It’s serious labor!

Duncan estimates that there are usually about 1,500 leaves on a typical tree.

He even makes every single flower by hand!

Here’s the finished product.

Duncan says that projects like this will usually take about 250 hours to complete.

Duncan’s work has been recognized across the country, and he’s been commissioned to recreate many iconic buildings, including Charleston’s St. Michael’s Church. You can see many more of these creations on his website.

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Artist Su Blackwell illustrates books. That might not sound very unusual, but Blackwell’s illustrations turn books into detailed, haunting scenes — quite literally. That’s because the art she creates is made using the books themselves, the pages cut, folded, and pasted into intricate, three-dimensional scenes that capture not only the narrative, but the feeling of the books.

To Kill A Mockingbird, 2015

To Kill A mockingbird (detail), 2015

Using strategically placed lighting, the scenes glow with inner light that’s at once warm and lonely. Blackwell is drawn to solitary places, like the forests, coastlines, and isolated houses that make up so many folklore and fairy tale stories. She uses minimal color to emphasize certain items, but for the most part, the images keep the black and white print pattern, with shape and texture identifying them. Wires hold up some pieces, making them appear to float in midair.

The Stork Wife, 2014

Treasure Island, 2013

The Little Prince, 2012

Red Riding Hood, 2010

If her work seems a bit unsettling, it’s because Blackwell intends for it to be so, and strives to capture the full range of emotion covered by the stories. “I tend to lean towards young girl characters, placing them in haunting, fragile settings, expressing the vulnerability of childhood, while also conveying a sense of childhood anxiety and wonder,” she explains. “There is a quiet melancholy in the work, depicted in the material used, and choice of subtle color.”

The Last Unicorn, 2012

The Master and Margarita, 2014

The Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage, 2014

The Dark is Rising, 2014

Wild Flowers of the British Isles, 2013

Some of them, like this book on wild flowers, are less emotionally complex and more a celebration of color and form.

As is always the case when artist carve up books, some people might think it’s a waste of readable material. However, most of the books that Blackwell uses are second-hand, out-of-date printings, hardly rare or collector’s items. She also reads each book, sometimes twice, in order to correctly capture it in sculpture. She also uses the destruction of the books as a way of making a point. “I employ this delicate, accessible medium and use irreversible, destructive processes to reflect on the precariousness of the world we inhabit and the fragility of our life, dreams and ambitions,” she says.

Matilda, 2014

The Ice Maiden, 2014

(via My Modern Met)

You can see more of Blackwell’s artwork, including non-literary works, on her website, where you can also purchase prints of her work.

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