There are many artists and jewellers who use nature as inspiration, although there are few whose work I like as much as that of Francis Wadsworth-Jones. Her playful collections include pieces made to look constructed by ants, and brooches that look like bird poo!

Workers

Heaven Sent

I very rarely find jewellery that I absolutely love, and can afford to buy (just about), so I was very happy when I saw this Mechanical Heart Pendant on Xylocopa. It’s beautiful, and the movable parts make it extra special. The studio also make other laser cut beauties such as the Young Mad Scientist’s First Alphabet Blocks (below).

Mechanical Heart Pendant

Machinist’s Clockwork Maple Gear Pendant

A Young Mad Scientist’s First Alphabet Blocks

I would usually associate the art of body painting with the grand, but mildly obtuse, use of painting clothes on naked models in cheap advertising, or on the living statues at Covent Garden. However, self-styled ’skin illustrator’ Emma Hack takes this medium and turns it into something visually stunning.

Hack’s Wallpaper series is based upon the designs of Florence Broadhurst, blending the model into the paper design to “play within the wallpapers interacting with their environment.” Interestingly, the interaction is limited, visually grounding the model into the position they have been painted into.

Red Bird, 2008

Kabuki Feline, 2008

Exotic Birds, 2007

In an almost contrast, Levi van Veluw takes the concept of blending into the landscape and uses it to create beautiful self-portraits using his own face as a canvas.

Landscape I

Landscape IV

Landscape III

Material Transfers - Sterling wood