Art Outside The Lines - Fun, Cool and Amazing Art

For thousands of years, art has been a mirror for the progression of human creativity. So, if you believe the old adage that art imitates life, than the world as we know it must be a strange and fascinating place.

My name is John Staughton, and this blog digs deep into the bizarre, ground-breaking, or just plain cool art that's out there to enjoy or be confused by. If you dig creativity in all its' forms, then you'll also want to check out my second blog, Outside the Box Innovations.

No canvas is too unusual, no medium is too bizarre, and no idea is too "out there". These posts are a visual feast and a mental puzzle. I hope you enjoy this amazing art as much as I do!

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Dreams On The Wind: The Incredible Sand Art of Kseniya Simonova

by Art Outside The...

Some artists use paint, while others choose charcoal. Some paintings take years, and others take hours. Some hang on gallery walls, while others simply lie forgotten on easels. Kseniya Simonova's art is different... it's made entirely of sand, she can create some of them in mere minutes, and when they are finished, she simply blows them away to start something new.

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Up In Smoke: The Revolution of High Art

by Art Outside The...

4/20, International Pot Smoking Day, has come and gone, but Chronic artist Cliff Maynard never stops celebrating the holidaze. His mind-blowing portraits made of the burnt-out roaches from thousands of joints prove that drugs don't just inspire art, sometimes they actually make it. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

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The Neon Lovechild of Modern Art

by Art Outside The...

Paint splatters and graffiti might look like accidents or vandalism to some people, but the eye-catching, genre-bending artwork of Rowena Martinich is redefining ideas of art and beauty, while answering one very important question; what would it look like if Warhol, Pollock, and Picasso got together and went wild on a wall?

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Tea and Vodka and Brandy - Oh My!

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Some artists choose to drink alcohol while they work, but British artist Carne Griffiths chooses to use vodka, brandy, and tea traditional paint to create the unique colors and textures of her eye-catching and enthralling work.

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Trash To Treasure - Amazing Celebrity Portraits

by Art Outside The...

Celebrity portraits have always captured the attention of the world, but San Francisco-based artist Jason Mecier has built his career by making portraits that tell the real story behind celebrities. His mosaic portraits are made of candy, pills, lipstick, cell phones, cigarette butts, and every other object (or substance) in between.

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Etch A Sketch Art - All Grown Up

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For many people, myself included, an Etch A Sketch toy is nothing more than a frustrating memory from childhood that convinced me I would never become an artist. But artist Bryan Madden has used those two maddening dials to create unbelievable cityscapes and portraits in his own version of Etch Pop Art. No Shaking Allowed!

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The Guardians of Time - Mysterious Sculptures Traveling The World

by Art Outside The...

If artists are the guardians of culture, than Austrian artist Manfred Kielnhofer takes that title quite seriously. His eerily beautiful and mysterious "Guardians of Time" sculptures have travelled the world and captured the attention and imagination of millions.

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Tilda Swinton Is Thinking Inside The Box....Again.

by Art Outside The...

Are you still looking for that perfect way to relax after work? Oscar-winner and occasional performance artist Tilda Swinton has a unique way to unwind after a long day - just lay down for a nap. In a glass box. In the MoMA.

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The World Is A Canvas - Mind Bending Perspective Art

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If you only like looking at art in museums, you might never experience the ingenius, perspective-based art of Felice Varini, a Swiss artist who sees the whole world as his canvas.

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Recycled Bike Art Is Going To The Dogs....

by Art Outside The...

There is no right and wrong when creating original art, and for Israeli artist Nirit Levav, inspiration came in the form of discarded bike chains and man's best friend. Her life-size dog sculptures are examples of upcycling at it's finest and most creative.

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