Many artists find inspiration in nature, and it's no wonder, when you consider all of the amazing things our planet has to offer!
But sculptor Ellen Jewett takes things one step farther with her incredible, lighter-than-air-looking sculptures that seem to float right over the surfaces.
Instead of simply re-creating images of animals, Jewett incorporates plants, fantasy elements, and even other animals into her sculptures, turning the animals into mythical creatures that seem to hold ancient wisdom and untold stories — which can even be true in the real world, such as in the case of Jonathan, the 183-year-old tortoise.
The addition of flowers, trees, and even buildings makes them seem like they are themselves self-contained worlds.
Take a look at some of Jewett's sculptures below, and be sure to take your time with them. With such exquisite details, it's easy to get totally lost in them — and we encourage that!
(h/t: Colossal)
Jewett, who comes from Ontario, likes to work in layers, and carefully constructs detailed worlds on — and in — her creatures.
She also likes to push the negative space in her pieces and see how many hollows and empty places she can leave while still making the sculpture able to stand freely.
Her sculptures are beautiful, but there's more to them than simply representations of animals. Jewett also uses them to explore various psychological themes.
Every element of each sculpture is entirely created by hand, but Jewett does minimal planning for her pieces. Instead, she prefers to create intuitively.
Jewett describes her pieces as collections of tiny sculptures making up a whole. Each one seems to tell a complex story or express a complicated feeling.
Each tiny detail has been crafted with the utmost care.
The pieces are so delicate that it seems amazing that they can stand at all, but that fragility and precariousness is something that Jewett wants to communicate in her work.
In addition, Jewett only uses materials — including clays, paints, and glazes — that are completely nontoxic. While it makes finding materials harder, she says it's also forced her to be more inventive.
To create her pieces, she only uses her hands and a small paintbrush.
Each one has a metal frame inside for stability with layers of lightweight clay added on top.
When the form has been created, Jewett then paints on the colors and inserts glass eyes. Glazes are added to seal the clay and brighten the colors.
Because they're so complex, you can't help but begin to construct a narrative or a personality for them!
Not only is each sculpture deeply complex, but Jewett has, over the years, also made quite a number of them.
She refers to her creations as her "menagerie" and each one explores the complicated themes of growth, life, and death that permeate all existence.
You can see more of Jewett's work on her website, as well as on Facebook, Tumblr, and Instagram.
And if you know anyone who loves complexity and fantasy, do SHARE this article with them!
