Toronto-based artist Carly Waito is deeply inspired by the beautiful crystalline structures of minerals, such as amethyst and quartz. Boasting a bevy of spellbinding shapes and sizes, Waito has depicted their sparkling details in her crystal paintings. Their radiance practically leaps off the panels, and the textures are so realistic they seem like they can almost be touched.
In each piece, Waito creates an amazing sense of depth and composition, and her hyperrealistic techniques reveal her expertise with lighting and reflections. The tones and fine glints bounce off the minerals; from the Watermelon Tourmaline to the lime green Vesuvianite, the gradations in each work are flawlessly illustrated and their visual complexities celebrated.
Waito’s work pursues inspirations from the natural world. As shared in her artist’s statement, she emphasizes “a focus towards geology, geometry, light, and a sense of wonder and curiosity. These themes are uniquely encompassed by the tiny mineral specimens which have become her particular obsession.” She subtly guides the viewer’s eye, inviting them to focus on “the beauty and magic that is present even in nature’s tiniest objects, if one looks closely enough and with a curious mind.”
A selection of Waito’s mineral paintings spanning from 2009 to 2015 can be seen here.
Artist Carly Waito creates crystal paintings that celebrate radiant minerals and gemstones in their naturally spellbinding shapes and forms.
Using a hyperrealistic painting approach, she perfectly captures the gleans of these colorful crystals.
Crystals have been a fascination of Waito’s since 2009.
Through her mineral art, she is “showing the beauty and magic that is present even in nature’s tiniest objects.”
Carly Waitdo: Website | Blog
h/t: [Colossal]