John Malkovich as Marilyn Monroe in a re-creation of Andy Warhol's 1962 painting. The image is a part of the series, “The Malkovich Sessions”, by photographer Sandro Miller and on display at the Catherine Edelman Gallery in Chicago. Miller wanted to pay homage to the artists who influence his photographic career, and approached Malkovich with the idea of re-creating the famous portraits. (Photo by Sandro Miller/Catherine Edelman Gallery)

Japanese craftsman Sumikazu Nakata writes the Chinese character of “victory”, which is a part of the phrase “Certain victory”, as he adds the final touches on a Daruma doll, which is believed to bring good luck, at his studio “Daimonya” in Takasaki, northwest of Tokyo November 23, 2014. Daruma dolls, representing the Indian priest Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism in China, is used to bring luck. It is also a favorite item of election candidates where they traditionally paint only one eye on the doll when they start their campaign and paint the other eye if they win in the election. (Photo by Yuya Shino/Reuters)

A giant biodegradable landart painting entitled “Vers l'equilibre” (Towards balance) by French-Swiss artist Saype is pictured near the summit of the Grand Chamossaire mountain, above the alpine resort of Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 06, 2022. Extending over an area of 2500 square meters, this fresco was created using biodegradable pigments made out of charcoal, chalk, water and milk proteins. (Photo by Valentin Flauraud/Keystone via AP Photo)

Slovenian artist Franc Grom, aged 72, makes unbelievably intricate egg sculptures using just a tiny electric drill and enormous patience. According to National Geographic, when finished, each egg contains approximately 2,500 to 3,500 holes. While Slovene artisans usually paint their eggs using a technique called drsanka by lightly scratching intricate patterns into the surfaces of colored eggs, carving them was solely Grom’s idea.

The French graphic designer and photographer uses a method he calls “digital matte painting”, layering several photos on top of each other to create an incandescent composition that seems eerily familiar yet ultimately impossible. Filled with tumbling clouds and glowing focal points, the images possess a depth that stretches the two-dimensional canvases backward as violent skies seem to undulate before the viewers' eyes.

Ukranian artists Anya Stasenko and Slava Leontyev collaborate to create delightfully quirky and unbelievably detailed miniature porcelain sculptures. Their website offers different views of many of the pieces so that you can see the elaborate paintings on these tiny pieces. I couldn’t stop smiling, always a good sign.

I would like to tell you why many artists, who like me, have painted portraits and landscapes in oils on canvas, worked with acrylics, watercolors, and pen and ink drawings, have turned to the art of gourd carving.