Flowers

Photos by Alice Walker. All images © Jessica Saunders, shared with permission

“Flowers are connecting, grounding, uplifting, healing, and worth treasuring,” says Essex-based artist Jessica Saunders, whose delicate stained glass sculptures highlight an array of familiar and beloved blooms. From daffodils and poppies to cornflowers and hydrangeas, her pieces celebrate the cyclical nature of the seasons and the incredible range of specimens in both our backyards and the wild.

For Saunders, inspiration comes from her own garden and walks outside with her dog Bramble, observing the gradual changes in blossoms and foliage throughout the year. She also builds upon stories people share with her about specific flowers that evoke memories of others or places they’ve visited, which can be captured in glass as an everlasting reminder.

Saunders began working with stained glass in 2020 when her partner gifted her a beginners’ guide to the practice. “I immediately fell head over heels in love with the process,” the artist tells Colossal. “It felt natural to use my hands this way, and understanding all the different techniques came easily.” She enjoyed the challenges and possibilities of the medium, intrigued by its colors, textures, and transparency, in addition to its ability to be endlessly recycled.

While preserving personal memories or observations, Saunders is also helping to keep a heritage craft alive. Stained glass “takes time and care; it can’t be rushed,” she says. “Each piece has positive intentions soldered, ground, and burnished into them.”

Saunders is currently working on her Summer Collection, scheduled for release around the solstice in June, which will include honeysuckle, rudbeckia, sweet peas, hollyhocks, strawberries, and more. Find more on the artist’s website, and follow updates on Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Seasonal Blooms Capture Sunlight in Jessica Saunders’ Delicate Stained Glass Sculptures appeared first on Colossal.

“Acquiesce” (2021), oil on canvas, 72 x 60 inches. All images © Eric Wert, shared with permission

“For me, the experience of painting an object reveals just how alien and unknowable it truly is,” says Eric Wert, whose vibrant still lifes seem to glow from within. From decadent bouquets that overflow from their vases to a pair of rain-speckled magnolia branches, the subjects of the Portland, Oregon-based artist’s oil paintings are portrayed in hyperrealistic detail.

Wert draws on his background in scientific illustration, a discipline that attracted him “because of the emphasis on rigorous accuracy in representation,” he says. “Over time, I found that objective technical drawings would never convey the complex feelings experienced while observing my subjects.”

Contributing to the long history of still life in European art history, Wert’s compositions take a contemporary view of the tradition while retaining the elements that characterize the genre: composition and precision. “My oil paintings are intended to be both seductive and destructive—a highly controlled meditation on the impossibility of control,” he says. Abundant flowers spill from displays and cross sections of fruit reveal sensual textures. The backdrops also complement the central subject, often depicting ornamental textiles or wallpaper patterns.

Wert references the qualities of vanitas painting in particular, which brim with symbolism intended to remind the viewer of the worthlessness of worldly desires or pleasures within the broader context of mortality. “Conveying a recognizable image happens early on in the process,” Wert says, “but my favorite part of the painting happens days or weeks later when I stop trying to control it—when I get out of the way and let the object reveal its other self.”

Three of the artist’s paintings are currently included in the group show Still Life at Gallery Henoch in New York City, which continues through April 12. Find more on Wert’s website, where prints of some of his paintings are available for purchase in addition to a selection of puzzles and cards published by Pomegranate. Stay up to date by following the artist on Instagram.

“Dragon Breath” (2023), oil on canvas, 30 x 30 inches

“Magnolia” (2022), oil on panel, 18 x 24 inches

“Moss Nest” (2024), oil on panel, 20 x 16 inches

“Plums” (2023), oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches

“Sottobosco” (2022), oil on canvas, 40 x 50 inches

“Still Life With Medieval Tapestry” (2016), oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches

“The Arrangement” (2015), oil on panel, 50 x 40 inches

Detail of a work in progress

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Elaborate Still Lifes Erupt with Vivid Color in Eric Wert’s Oil Paintings appeared first on Colossal.

“Succulents.” All photos by dotgain.info, shared with permission

In Ant Hamlyn’s latest body of work, flowers and plants at the prime of life attempt to burst from their habitats in a desperate search for air and room to grow. The London-based artist is known for his sculptures of botanicals suffocating underneath acrylic panels, a subject matter he continues for his forthcoming exhibition Terrarium.

Opening this week at Weserhalle in Berlin, the show features Hamlyn’s signature specimens made of velvet and shiny, inflatable plastic. Like earlier works, Venus fly traps, plush petals, and the hallucinogenic spotted fly agaric mushroom make an appearance, although this time, they’re unable to breach the plastic panes. Small cork tops seal each stifling terrarium, choking the plants of oxygen and confining them to claustrophobic environments that, unlike the real-life chambers, aren’t created to promote and sustain life.

Terrarium runs from March 15 to April 13. Find more from the artist on Instagram.

“Cactus”

“Shroom”

“Snake Plant Bonsai”

“Carnivores”

“Big Shroom”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Bright Succulents, Cacti, and Plants Attempt to Break From Ant Hamlyn’s Claustrophobic Terrariums appeared first on Colossal.

All images © Grace Gillespie, shared with permission

Grace Gillespie grew up in an artistic household, but she resisted pursuing visual art at first, especially printmaking, because it was something both of her parents excelled at. “I guess I wanted my own ‘thing,’” she tells Colossal, which for most of her twenties was music. Then, during the pandemic, she found herself furloughed, disillusioned with the music industry, and back at her parents’ home in Devon, England.

During her six-month stay, Gillespie had access to a large etching press belonging to her mother, artist Sarah Gillespie. “I decided to try my hand at linocut and was immediately very addicted!” the artist says. “I was also just incredibly lucky that (my parents) had a lot of old lino and tools lying around—a bit ancient and rusty, but they did the trick.”

Gillespie was initially drawn to flowers because at the height of the summer, they exploded in her parents’ garden. She found solace and energy in their variety of colors and textures. “I think that both this newly found love of gardens and plant life, plus the new world of printing, really saved me through some quite tricky times around the pandemic,” she says. “I had left music mostly behind, moved house, and realised I had an anxiety disorder all in the space of a few months, and printing really helped to pull me through and keep my brain inspired to create.”

Reduction printing, the technique of carving away at the surface of linoleum or wood to create surfaces that can be layered, inspired Gillespie to play with color and complexity. “I absolutely love the surprise of when you lift the paper and reveal a print… sometimes a surprise mistake!” she says. “It’s a funny process and a lot can go wrong…. But it does make it all the more satisfying when you peel back the paper to reveal something really juicy and satisfying.”

See more on Gillespie’s Instagram, and check out her shop on Etsy to purchase prints.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Grace Gillespie’s Vibrant Linocut Prints of Flowers and Foliage Tap Into Her Artistic Roots appeared first on Colossal.

All images © Steeven Salvat, shared with permission

Sprouting between windows and tucked around corners, Steeven Salvat’s wheatpastes add a dose of natural history to everyday urban life. The French artist has spent the last few years meticulously rendering gem- and mechanic-encrusted beetles and butterflies, amassing a vast insectarium that draws attention to the intersections of art, science, and history and underscores the preciousness of each creature.

During the last two years, though, Salvat has begun to consistently work outdoors and on walls, creating public pieces that capture his painstaking linework on a larger scale. Whether painted in acrylic or slathered with wheatpaste, the realistic renderings are similarly detailed and delicate, conveying the smooth fur of a field mouse or the fluffed plumage of a bird mid-flight. Many of his recent works, part of the ongoing Petite Nature project, pair renditions of oversized dried flowers with tiny creatures “to awaken awareness on the fragility of ecosystems such as grasslands and natural water points, often sacrificed in the name of urbanisation.”

In addition to the wall works, Petite Nature also features smaller drawings on paper, which will be on view in January at Le Cabinet d’Amateur in Paris. Salvat generously shares glimpses into his process on Instagram, and you can find originals, prints, and postcards in his shop.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Finely Rendered Birds and Animals Cling to Dried Flowers in Steeven Salvat’s Wheatpastes appeared first on Colossal.

All images © Steeven Salvat, shared with permission

Sprouting between windows and tucked around corners, Steeven Salvat’s wheatpastes add a dose of natural history to everyday urban life. The French artist has spent the last few years meticulously rendering gem- and mechanic-encrusted beetles and butterflies, amassing a vast insectarium that draws attention to the intersections of art, science, and history and underscores the preciousness of each creature.

During the last two years, though, Salvat has begun to consistently work outdoors and on walls, creating public pieces that capture his painstaking linework on a larger scale. Whether painted in acrylic or slathered with wheatpaste, the realistic renderings are similarly detailed and delicate, conveying the smooth fur of a field mouse or the fluffed plumage of a bird mid-flight. Many of his recent works, part of the ongoing Petite Nature project, pair renditions of oversized dried flowers with tiny creatures “to awaken awareness on the fragility of ecosystems such as grasslands and natural water points, often sacrificed in the name of urbanisation.”

In addition to the wall works, Petite Nature also features smaller drawings on paper, which will be on view in January at Le Cabinet d’Amateur in Paris. Salvat generously shares glimpses into his process on Instagram, and you can find originals, prints, and postcards in his shop.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Finely Rendered Birds and Animals Cling to Dried Flowers in Steeven Salvat’s Wheatpastes appeared first on Colossal.

James Lake. All images © the artists, courtesy of MAKE Southwest

Strips of cardboard, papier-mâché, and precision folding are just a few of the techniques artists employ as they explore of the endless potential of paper. Whether using found pages of magazines and books, intricately folding single sheets into detailed figures, or designing unique wearable pieces, artists are constantly finding original ways to use the humble material.

Kicking off next month at MAKE Southwest, a group exhibition titled PULP celebrates the possibilities of the medium in all its forms, from quilled flowers to figurative sculptures to playful miniatures. Collaboratively curated by the Paper Artist Collective and GF Smith, PULP presents the work of more than two dozen international artists, including several we’ve shared here on Colossal over the years, like Layla May Arthur, Daphne Lee, Juho Könkkölä, Kate Kato, and more.

PULP opens on January 20 and runs through April 13 in the town of Bovey Tracey, on the edge of Dartmoor. If you’re in the area, you can plan your visit and learn more via MAKE Southwest’s website.

Daphne Lee

Emma Boyes

Tina Kraus

Rosa Yoo

Kate Kato

Left: Samantha Quinn. Right: Dail Behennah

Kate Hipkiss

Jeremy May

Monique Martin

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article The Artists of ‘PULP’ Fold, Emboss, and Quill Their Way Through the Possibilities of Paper appeared first on Colossal.

James Lake. All images © the artists, courtesy of MAKE Southwest

Strips of cardboard, papier-mâché, and precision folding are just a few of the techniques artists employ as they explore of the endless potential of paper. Whether using found pages of magazines and books, intricately folding single sheets into detailed figures, or designing unique wearable pieces, artists are constantly finding original ways to use the humble material.

Kicking off next month at MAKE Southwest, a group exhibition titled PULP celebrates the possibilities of the medium in all its forms, from quilled flowers to figurative sculptures to playful miniatures. Collaboratively curated by the Paper Artist Collective and GF Smith, PULP presents the work of more than two dozen international artists, including several we’ve shared here on Colossal over the years, like Layla May Arthur, Daphne Lee, Juho Könkkölä, Kate Kato, and more.

PULP opens on January 20 and runs through April 13 in the town of Bovey Tracey, on the edge of Dartmoor. If you’re in the area, you can plan your visit and learn more via MAKE Southwest’s website.

Daphne Lee

Emma Boyes

Tina Kraus

Rosa Yoo

Kate Kato

Left: Samantha Quinn. Right: Dail Behennah

Kate Hipkiss

Jeremy May

Monique Martin

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article The Artists of ‘PULP’ Fold, Emboss, and Quill Their Way Through the Possibilities of Paper appeared first on Colossal.

All images © Yuni Yoshida, shared with permission

Gem-like limes, hand-drawn apples, and sweet stilettos are just a few of the subjects of Yuni Yoshida’s vibrant photographs. Combining elements of design and commercial photography, the artist (previously) taps into preconceptions tied to the textures, shapes, densities, and ripeness of fruit and florals. She manipulates each item by hand, meticulously cutting, preserving, and arranging individual pieces. “I pay a lot of attention to food and flowers because I like things that are natural and have life,” she tells Colossal. She has long been drawn to organic materials because of what she describes as their warmth and individuality.

Find more on Yoshida’s website and Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Faceted Limes and Apples with Scribbled Skin Shape Yuni Yoshida’s Vivid Photographs appeared first on Colossal.

All images © Yuni Yoshida, shared with permission

Gem-like limes, hand-drawn apples, and sweet stilettos are just a few of the subjects of Yuni Yoshida’s vibrant photographs. Combining elements of design and commercial photography, the artist (previously) taps into preconceptions tied to the textures, shapes, densities, and ripeness of fruit and florals. She manipulates each item by hand, meticulously cutting, preserving, and arranging individual pieces. “I pay a lot of attention to food and flowers because I like things that are natural and have life,” she tells Colossal. She has long been drawn to organic materials because of what she describes as their warmth and individuality.

Find more on Yoshida’s website and Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Faceted Limes and Apples with Scribbled Skin Shape Yuni Yoshida’s Vivid Photographs appeared first on Colossal.