Using a lot of glue sticks, an X-Acto knife, watercolor paints, and a whole lot of love, illustrator Isobelle Ouzman gives discarded books a new life. From the outside, they might look like your average texts. Just past the hardcover, however, is an incredible mix of drawing, painting, and paper sculpting. She finds these books in places like recycling bins and thrift stores and alters them with her beautiful three-dimensional drawings.
Ouzman cuts part of the books’ pages away to create depth in her compositions. Often, this leads us into a tunnel or down a path framed by her detailed renderings of tall grasses, winding tree branches, and blooming flowers. Their original stories are now totally transformed into a fantastical works of art that celebrates the beauty of nature.
The illustrator’s love of reading inspired these pieces. “I value books greatly,” she writes. “With technology the way it is, not many people are as willing to read physical books, so they sit untouched and are discarded.” If you’re interested in owning one of Ouzman’s works, she takes commissions via her Etsy shop.
Isobelle Ouzman website and Tumblr
via [Lustik]