Awesome of the Day: Alexa Meade's Acrylic-on-Person Paintings

Alexa Meade, 23, gives the expression “still life” a whole new meaning. The artist’s work is an unlikely marriage of mediums—paint and human flesh.

Unlike most painters, who aim to make a two-dimensional image appear lifelike, Meade’s goal is to make real, three-dimensional objects seem like flat paintings. She covers her (usually human) subjects with a layer of paint, creating shadows and textures as one might on a canvas. Meade’s creations only exist in their original form for a few hours before they are memorialized as photographs, giving the artist yet another opportunity to toy with the concepts of dimensions and reality—and totally blow our minds.

Timmy on the metro:

A self-portrait:

See more of Meade’s work on her website.