Los Angeles native Mike Stilkey has always been attracted to painting and drawing not only on vintage paper, record covers and book pages, but on the books themselves. Using a mix of ink, colored pencil, paint and lacquer, Stilkey depicts a melancholic and at times a whimsical cast of characters inhabiting ambiguous spaces and narratives of fantasy and fairy tales. A lingering sense of loss and longing hints at emotional depth and draws the viewer into their introspective thrall with a mixture of capricious poetry, wit, and mystery. (Photo by Mike Stilkey)

Pedestrians and workers pass an upside down car art installation in a car park on the South Bank in London, February 19, 2015. British artist Alex Chinneck's illusory piece, entitled “Pick yourself up and pull yourself together”, and on display in the working car park for a week, sees a Vauxhall car suspended upside down, appearing to be gripping onto a peeled back length of tarmac. (Photo by Toby Melville/Reuters)

The Red Arrows make a flypast during the Trooping The Colour parade at Buckingham Palace, in London, Saturday, June 13, 2015. Hundreds of soldiers in ceremonial dress have marched in London in the annual Trooping the Color parade to mark the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. The Trooping the Color tradition originates from preparations for battle, when flags were carried or "trooped" down the rank for soldiers to see. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

A jogger is seen running at Hampstead Heath with London in the background on June 1, 2021. Britain sees temperatures increasing for the second day in a row after the mercury hit 25C (77 Fahrenheit) for the warmest day of the year so far on Bank Holiday Monday. (Photo by Joshua Bratt/London News Pictures)

A car stands destroyed by debris, one day after a magnitude 5.1 quake killed at least 9 people, on May 12, 2011 in Lorca, Spain. After spending the night outside, residents of the historic Spanish town are awaiting the safety assessment of their houses to see wether they can return home or not. (Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrives at the Christchurch Airport on June 7, 2011 in Christchurch, New Zealand. The Dalai Lama requested a visit to Christchurch ahead of his Australian tour to see damaged caused by the February earthquake that devastated the city. He will speak and offer prayers at a free public event at Canterbury Arena on Wednesday. (Photo by Martin Hunter/Getty Images)

Two Red Deer stags stand in the early morning mist in Richmond Park on October 15, 2011 in London, England. Autumn sees the start of the “Rutting” season where the large Red Deer stags can be heard roaring and barking in an attempt to attract females known as bucks. The larger males can also be seen clashing antlers with rival males. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)