To produce the images that convey his fatalistic and ironic approach to life, tinged with hope, he needed the environment and knowledge of Mother Russia, oiled with a bit of bribery to certain circus trainers. Enter the Great Russian Bear, the personification of Russia for the last several centuries, onto center stage and into his studio. The bear is recognized as both brutish and cute – Misha was the mascot for the 1980 Olympic Games – and has remained a symbol of Russia since Tsarist times. In 2009 it is the symbol of the United Russia Party.

A visitor passes behind the sculpture “Puma-Dentist” made with plastic, wax and original heads of a puma and a hind by Austrian artist Deborah Sengl during an exhibition at the art gallery Deschler in Berlin April 15, 2008. (Photo by Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters)

In this Monday, July 24, 2017 photo, a police officer walks in front of a mural during a protest demanding an end to the current pension fund system, in Santiago, Chile. Protesters say the government pension system robs retirees of fair pension payments, and are demanding a new social security system with higher payments. (Photo by Esteban Felix/AP Photo)

A man poses for a photograph in front of a mural of Democrat US presidential nominee Hillary Clinton clad in a swimsuit bearing the colours of the US flag in West Footscray in Melbourne on July 30, 2016. An Australian mural of US presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in a revealing, stars and stripes swimsuit may be taken down, after it has reportedly been deemed offensive. (Photo by Paul Crock/AFP Photo)

This is the stunning body of work by a talented painter – who transforms humans into amazing animals. From alligators to foxes and even owls, artist Shannon Holt, 39, paints every little detail on models to turn them into wildlife. The incredible paintings, which take anywhere between six to 12.5 hours to complete, are part of her Florida Wildlife Series. Shannon, from DeLand, Florida, previously worked on different surfaces such as glass, metals and wood. But the animal advocate decided to experiment with human canvasses and incorporate animals in her work. Here: Red Fox. (Photo by Ryder Gledhill/Shannon Holt/Caters News)

A woman looks at goldfish through the warped wall of a fish tank at the Art Aquarium exhibition in Tokyo July 10, 2015. Several thousand goldfish are displayed in dozens of uniquely shaped tanks, using LED lights, projection mapping and music in a show that was produced by Japanese designer Hidetomo Kimura. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

Glass artist Kiva Ford draws from his vast experience in scientific glassblowing to create perfect miniatures of wine glasses, beakers, and ribbon-striped vases, some scarcely an inch tall. A member of the American Scientific Glassblowers Society, Kiva creates instruments for scientists who require one-of-a-kind designs for various experiments. The same techniques and tools used for scientific equipment also apply to his artistic practice including the miniature works you see here, as well as larger sculptures, and ornate drinkware.