When confronted with danger, we often face a choice between fight or flight. For many, the instinctive reaction to a charging bear is to run. However, this response can be more dangerous than you might think. A wildlife tour company, Scenic Bear Viewing in Homer, Alaska, recently shared a video revealing that it’s better to stand your ground when faced with a charging bear.

The short video shows a native grizzly bear charging quickly towards a group of photographers, who instinctively start warding off the animal with loud noises. One of the professional bear guides, known as Martin, took a bold step by pretending to chase the bear, which effectively caused it to retreat.

“Never run from a charging bear, even though your instinct is to run,” says the caption of the video. “This is a bluff charge. They are just trying to get you to run.” Bears have a natural instinct to chase, so running away can actually trigger their pursuit.

It’s just as important to avoid getting too close to the natural-born predators. “Don’t get close to bears in the wild. Make sure you have an experienced guide with you,” says Scenic Bear Viewing. “We do not get closer than 50 yards. This is not the first time we’ve been bluff charged. We are trained exactly for this situation.”

The Scenic Bear Viewing team explains that these bears have been accustomed to human visitors for over 30 years, making them a familiar part of their daily lives. They say, “These bears are not fed or hunted by humans. No harm is being done to these bears and we want to keep it that way. We take photos of the bears and leave no trace.”

Check out the viral video below, as well as other clips showing more peaceful interactions with bears. For more bear videos, you can follow Scenic Bear Viewing on Instagram.

A video by Scenic Bear Viewing reveals that you should never run when a bear chases you. Instead, it's safer to face it head on.

 

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The guided photography group are also treated to plenty of peaceful moments, too.

 

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Scenic Bear Viewing: Website | Instagram | YouTube
h/t: [Laughing Squid]

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READ: You Should Never Run From a Charging Bear But Here’s What You Should Do Instead

Photo: ArturVerkhovetskiy/Depositphotos

Arts and crafts like painting, pottery, and weaving have been around for centuries, and there’s just something about making things with your hands that people can’t get enough of. Today, there’s a growing number of individuals embracing these timeless skills. Even celebrities, known primarily for their achievements in acting or sports, are channeling their talents into the world of crafts.

Olympian Tom Daley, for example, has become famous for his knitting, and Seth Rogen has discovered a real passion for pottery. However, learning a craft is about more than creating beautiful objects. Researchers are now saying that creative endeavors can actually improve your happiness and wellbeing.

Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England, looked at data from a random sample of 7,182 people aged 16 and over. The information came from the UK Department for Culture, Media, and Sport’s Taking Part Survey, which conducted home visits between April 2019 and March 2020.

Participants were asked to evaluate various aspects of their well-being, using 10-point scales and provide information about any art-related activities they were involved in. About 37.4% reported taking part in at least one art or craft activity in the past 12 months, including painting, drawing, pottery, textile crafts, and photography. These individuals also reported higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction compared to those who didn't have a creative outlet.

The link between creativity and well-being held true even when considering other factors like age, gender, income level, health, and job status. The researchers also found that life satisfaction tends to grow with age, and that engaging in arts and crafts contributes to a higher a sense of well-being compared to traditional employment.

Dr. Helen Keyes, a co-author of the research says, “That was probably our most interesting finding, because you would certainly think you get a lot of your sense of worth from being in employment.” This finding suggests that even if someone’s day-to-day job isn’t fulfilling, engaging in creative activities can help offset that lack of satisfaction.

On average, people who engaged in arts and crafts saw a 2% increase in well-being. While this might seem like a small boost, it’s quite meaningful when considered across the entire population.

“If you’re a national health service, or you’re a government,” Keyes explains, “seeing a 2% increase in the overall wellbeing of your population is going to be really significant at that kind of national level.” Plus, many arts and crafts are affordable and accessible, making taking up a creative hobby a no-brainer.

Check out the researchers’ full report to learn more.

Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England, have recently found that engaging in arts and crafts can lead to greater life satisfaction than traditional employment.

Photo: chika_milan/Depositphotos

The link between creativity and well-being held true even when considering other factors like age, gender, income level, health, and job status.

Photo: silverkblack/Depositphotos

h/t: [The Guardian]

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READ: New Research Suggests That Doing Arts and Crafts Can Improve Your Mental Health

 

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Skin cancer ranks among the most prevalent cancers worldwide, with millions of new cases diagnosed each year. However, a potentially revolutionary solution may soon be within reach thanks to the innovative work of a young scientist named Heman Bekele. This impressive 15-year-old from Annandale, Virginia, developed a bar of soap infused with immunotherapy drugs to help fight the disease. And his incredible work just earned him the title of TIME’s Kid of the Year for 2024.

Before moving to the U.S., Bekele spent the first four years of his life in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. There, he observed local laborers working long hours under the scorching sun and learned from his parents about the importance of protecting skin from harmful UV radiation.

“When I came to America, I realized how big of a problem the sun and UV radiation is when you’re exposed to it for really long periods of time,” Bekele recalls. “That’s what inspired me to go towards [developing treatment for] skin cancer, because right now there are no affordable and accessible alternatives to the really pricey treatment on the market.”

Bekele has had a love for science ever since he was 4 years old, when he began conducting his own experiments with common household chemicals like dish soap and laundry detergent. He reveals, “Long before I was mixing ingredients for soap, I would just mix together ‘potions’ looking for reactions.” Fortunately, his parents fostered his curiosity and encouraged him to pursue his passion.

A few years ago, Bekele came across imiquimod, a drug known for treating certain skin cancers. Typically used in a cream as part of larger treatment plans, he started thinking about how to make it more accessible for those in the early stages of the disease. He envisioned a bar of soap as a simple and affordable way to deliver this crucial medication, potentially reducing the high costs associated with skin cancer treatment. However, Bekele still needed to ensure that imiquimod would remain on the skin even after the soap is rinsed off.  He solved this by mixing it with a lipid-based nanoparticle, which helps the drug cling to the skin at a molecular level.

In October 2023, Bekele applied for the 3M Young Scientist Challenge with his cancer-treating soap and earned the title of America’s Top Young Scientist, as well as a cash prize of $25,000. This amazing achievement also helped Bekele find new opportunities and support within the scientific community. The young scientist is now supported by Vito Rebecca, a molecular biologist and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, who has become both his sponsor and lab partner.

In addition to thoroughly testing the soap, Bekele needs to secure a patent and obtain FDA certification, which could take some time. However, he hopes to have his Skin Cancer Treating Soap on the market by 2028. Priced at just $8.50 per bar, it promises to make skin cancer treatment affordable and accessible to as many people as possible.

“A lot of people have this mindset that everything’s been done, there’s nothing left for me to do,” Bekele told TIME. “To anybody having that thought, [I’d say] we’ll never run out of ideas in this world. Just keep inventing. Keep thinking of new ways to improve our world and keep making it a better place.”

15-year-old Heman Bekele was named TIME’s Kid of the Year for 2024 for his innovative cancer-curing soap.

Heman Bekele: Website | Instagram
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h/t: [TIME]

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READ: 15-Year-Old Heman Bekele Named TIME’s Kid of the Year 2024 for Breakthrough Cancer-Curing Soap

Artist Carla Grace Ollwitz crafts stunning paintings that showcase the beauty of animals in breathtaking detail. Born in South Africa and having lived on multiple continents during her childhood, her experiences resulted in a deep love for nature that shines through in her work.

“I spent many years in different parts of Africa as a child and youth,” Ollwitz tells My Modern Met. “Being so exposed to wildlife had a huge impact on my decision to focus on wildlife as my core brand.”

From vibrant tropical birds to majestic mammals like lions and bears, each fascinating animal is captured with impressive detail. Bird portraits feature textured plumage brought to life through thousands of meticulously applied brushstrokes, while the furry manes of lions are rendered in rich layers of oil or acrylic.

Impressively, Ollwitz is entirely self-taught. After dropping out of university, she set up her own business and began teaching herself how to paint. Her daily commitment to refining her craft is evident in her work, and she even generously shares painting tips with her followers on social media.

Ollwitz aims to inspire her viewers to connect with nature through her art. “I believe that the majority of humans are drawn to wildlife. An individual's affinity to help creatures that cannot help themselves tends to reveal the truth about a human's character,” she says. “My work has become focused on creating an experience between the viewer and the subject that feels tangible.”

Check out some of the anrtist’s incredible wildlife paintings below, and be sure to follow Ollwitz on Instagram for more artwork and painting tips.

Carla Grace Ollwitz creates wildlife-inspired paintings that showcase the beauty of animals in incredible detail.

Bird portraits feature textured plumage brought to life through thousands of meticulously applied brushstrokes.

And furry mammals are rendered in rich layers of oil or acrylic.

The self-taught artist frequently shares her journey and progress, showing that dedication is the key to improvement.

 

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My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Carla Grace Ollwitz.

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READ: Self-Taught Artist Captures Every Tiny Hair and Feather in Hyperrealistic Animal Paintings

Recasting Pittsburgh

For the last 10 years, artist Norwood Viviano has been exploring the relationship between industrial growth and population changes in American cities through sculptures. His series of kiln-cast glass sculptures, titled Recast Cities, vividly captures iconic, ever-changing skylines while reflecting each city’s rich manufacturing history.

Viviano’s interests are rooted in his family’s migration from Sicily to the U.S. in the early 1900s and his own experience growing up in Detroit during the 1970s and 80s—a period marked by economic turmoil and mass migration due to changes in the auto industry.

“I initially wanted to examine the power dynamic between industry and the early immigrant population in the city of Detroit,” the artist tells My Modern Met. “This then led me to research other periods of history where major population shifts took place and their relationship to rapid industrial growth and decline.”

Viviano, who worked with historians, urban planners, demographers, climate scientists and statisticians to deepen his understanding of these shifting urban landscapes, explains, “I explore settlement patterns and the events that shaped them.” His glass sculptures represent each city, their stories of migration, and the fragility of urban populations.

For his Recasting Detroit sculpture, Viviano cast a miniature version of the city perched atop a glass car engine, symbolizing the pivotal role of the auto industry in Detroit's history. Similarly, his Recasting Pittsburg cleverly features a glass beam as the base—mirroring the large beams typically used in construction—emphasizing Pittsburgh's industrial history. Even Viviano’s Recasting New York piece features the city’s iconic skyline perched atop a stack of glass newspapers, symbolizing The New York Times and its significance in the city's history.

“My installations and objects encourage individuals to make connections and ask questions about the interconnectivity between their and other communities,” says Viviano. “As an artist, I present data-driven information in a three-dimensional format using traditional craft materials in ways that allow viewers to place themselves in the work. By representing thousands of individual people as points in space, viewers can locate when and where they or someone they knew lived in a particular city.”

Each cityscape begins with 3D scans, which are then combined with objects such as a car engine to create a rubber mold. From this mold, a wax replica is created, which burns away after it’s filled with glass and fired in a kiln at 1550 degrees Fahrenheit.

“I find myself looking at the world as a surveyor—telling stories through objects,” says Viviano. “The evolution of physical environments parallels the movement of peoples and helps me further understand questions raised in my formative years growing up in the landscape of Detroit.”

Check out the artist’s Recast Cities series below and find more work on Viviano’s website.

Norwood Viviano's Recast Cities series features kiln-cast glass sculptures that capture the iconic skylines of U.S. cities.

Recasting Pittsburgh (detail)

Recasting New York

Recasting New York (detail)

Each cityscape is cast to sit above an object that represents the location's industrial past.

Recasting Grand Rapids

Recasting Grand Rapids (detail)

Recasting Detroit

Recasting Detroit (detail)

Recasting Houston

Recasting Houston (detail)

Recasting Chicago

Recasting Chicago (detail)

Recasting Portland

Each glass sculpture represents stories of migration and the fragility of urban populations.

Recasting Philadelphia

Recasting Toledo

Recasting Toledo (detail)

Norwood Viviano: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Norwood Viviano.

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READ: Glass Sculptures of U.S. Skylines Highlight Iconic Cities and Their Industrial History

Photo: ifeelstock/Depositphotos

Every bargain hunter dreams of uncovering a treasure at a thrift store or garage sale, but one woman in the UK literally discovered a hidden gem. In the late 1980s, she visited a car boot sale at West Middlesex hospital in Isleworth in west London and was drawn to a box of costume jewelry. She bought a huge cocktail ring for £10 (around $13), and wore it daily for 30 years without knowing its true worth.

In 2017, the woman decided to get the ring properly valued after its sparkle caught her eye while she was cleaning. Her local jeweler told her it could have substantial value, so she brought the ring to Sotheby’s jewelry department to get it properly appraised. The London auction house believed the ring's “fake” gem was actually a real diamond and sent it to the Gemological Institute of America for testing. Much to the owner’s surprise, it was confirmed as a 26.2-carat diamond valued at £350,000 ($382,383.29).

“The owner would wear it out shopping, wear it day-to-day. It’s a good-looking ring. But it was bought as a costume jewel. No one had any idea it had any intrinsic value at all,” said Jessica Wyndham, the head of the auction house’s London jewelry department. “They had been to quite a few car boot sales over the years. But they don’t have any history of collecting antiques and they don’t have any history of collecting diamonds. This is a one-off windfall, an amazing find.”

The owner—who didn’t want to be named—earned a total of $717,338 at the auction, which was almost double the original value. “It’s a life-changing amount of money,” Wyndham said. “No matter what your background is or what your past experiences have been, it’s going to revolutionize someone’s life.”

It’s not known how the ring ended up in a car boot sale, but the diamond is thought to have been cut in the 19th century. Wyndham explained that this antique style of diamond cutting is “slightly duller and deeper than you would see in a modern style” and “could trick people into thinking it’s not a genuine stone.”

She explains, “With an old style of cutting, an antique cushion shape, the light doesn’t reflect back as much as it would from a modern stone cutting. Cutters worked more with the natural shape of the crystal, to conserve as much weight of the crystal rather than make it as brilliant as possible. The older stones have quite a bit of personality. They sparkle in a different way.”

A British woman discovered that the $13 ring she bought at a garage sale 30 years ago contains a 26.2-carat diamond valued at a little over $382,000.

h/t: [Upworthy]

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READ: Woman’s Garage Sale “Costume” Ring Turns Out To Be a $382K Diamond

+ POOL Floating Filtration Research Platform and Rendering at Pier 35.
Left: + POOL water filtration unit demonstration project at Pier 35, 2024. Engineered by Arup.
Right: + POOL rendering at Pier 35. Designed by Family New York & Playlab, Inc . Image by Luxigon.

Rumors of a plus-shaped public pool coming to New York's waterways have been “floating” around for quite some time, but now the prototype has finally made a splash. Almost 15 years ago, non-profit organization +POOL envisioned a self-filtering floating pool on New York’s rivers that would allow everyone to access clean, swimmable water. Now, the small team of engineers have just secured a final location at Pier 35 on the East River, near Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

+POOL co-founder and architect Dong-Ping Wong and fellow designers, Archie Lee Coates IV, Jeffrey Franklin, and Oana Stanescu, first launched the idea for the floating pool on Kickstarter in 2015. They raised over $40,000 in just seven days, allowing them to test their filtration system at Brooklyn Bridge Park in Summer 2011. Since then, the team has expanded their project with a new Kickstarter campaign, additional funding, and further testing. The project is now in its final testing phase, meaning the +POOL could potentially open to the public by Summer 2025.

In 2017, +POOL launched a successful “Swim in the River” campaign, gathering over 10,000 signatures through an online petition advocating for safe river access. Hundreds of New Yorkers, ranging from 5 to 85 years old, wrote letters to the mayor backing +POOL. Their voices helped rally the support they needed to move forward.

Now, New York State and +POOL are collaborating to finance a three-month water filtration demonstration that kicked off earlier this month. A smaller, 2,000-square-foot pilot version of the pool has also been put in place, allowing the +POOL team to continue testing.

“Our prototype is in the water,” they say. “Today we are testing our Filtration Pilot so that tomorrow we can all swim freely in clean river water for the first time in a century.”

Once it's up and running, the 9,000-square-foot pool will filter a million gallons of New York City's river water each day. The pool will actually purify the water it's floating in, thanks to a unique system with three filtration layers and a final disinfection step, making the water completely safe to swim in.

The +POOL design not only helps clean up New York State's waters but also makes urban swimming accessible to everyone, no matter their age or background. There are sections for lap swimming, lounging, watersports, and kids’ activities. The configurations work on their own, can be combined to form an Olympic-length pool, or fully opened up into a massive 9,000-square-foot pool.

Check out renderings of the floating pool below, designed by by Family New York & Playlab, Inc, and find out more about the project on the +POOL website.

New York City’s self-filtering +POOL is almost ready to open at pier 35, near Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

+ POOL Rendering. Designed by Family New York & Playlab, Inc .

The project, now supported and funded by New York State, is currently in its final testing phase.

+ POOL Rendering. DDesigned by Family New York & Playlab, Inc . Image Family New York.

Once it’s up and running, the 9,000-square-foot pool will filter a million gallons of New York City's river water each day.

+ POOL Rendering at Pier 35. Designed by Family New York & Playlab, Inc . Image by Luxigon, 2021.

The innovative floating pool makes urban swimming accessible to all New Yorkers, no matter their background.

+ POOL Rendering. Designed by Family New York & Playlab, Inc . Image Family New York.

+ POOL Rendering. Designed by Family New York & Playlab, Inc . Image Family New York.

+ POOL: Website | Instagram | Facebook | X

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by + POOL.

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READ: Floating Public Pool With Self-Filtering System Ensures Clean Swimming Water in NYC

Photo: Biodiversity Heritage Library (CC BY 2.0)

Prior to the invention of photography, botanical illustration was the only way of visually recording the world’s many species of plant life. Today, science books are full of highly detailed photographs—typically taken with a macro lens or even a microscope—allowing us to discover the fascinating forms of flora and fauna. However, before these advances in technology, it was artists and illustrators who were depended on to share the beauty of botany with the world. Botanical illustration can often depict various parts of a plant in a way photos cannot. The job requires great artistic skill, attention to fine detail, and technical horticultural knowledge.

In the past, illustrations of plant life were used by physicians, pharmacists, botanical scientists, and gardeners for identification, analysis, discovery, and classification. While these works are not as relevant to researchers today, they have become an inspiration for artists who are paying homage to plant life in contemporary ways.

What is botanical illustration?

Botanical illustration is the art of depicting the form, color, and details of plant life. The practice can be traced back to sometime between 50 and 70 CE when an illustrated book titled De Materia Medica was created by Greek botanist Pedanius Dioscorides to help readers identify plant species for medicinal purposes. The eighteenth century saw many advances in the printing processes, allowing colors and details of drawings to appear even more accurately on paper. Artists often used watercolor, gouache, or other paints to achieve the desired vibrancy. As interest in botanical publications increased, the role of botanical illustrator came to be considered a respected profession.

Photo: PHGCOM via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Famous Botanical Artists of the Past

There are many artists and illustrators from around the world who made significant contributions to scientific publications on plant life. Read on to discover some of the most famous ones throughout history.

Maria Sibylla Merian (1647 – 1717)

Photo: Maria Sibylla Merian via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Regarded as one of the greatest ever botanical artists, German artist Maria Sibylla Merian created stunning natural history paintings in her own distinct style. She’s best known for illustrating the life cycle of an insect against the background of its host plant.

Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1766 – 1854)

Photo: Pierre-Joseph Redouté via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Employed as a royal flower painter by both Marie Antoinette (the last Queen of France) and the Empress Josephine Bonaparte, French artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté is renowned for his paintings of roses, lilies, and other flowers—many of which remain popular today.

The Bauer Brothers (1750s – 1850s)

Photo: Franz Bauer via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Franz and Ferdinand Bauer both made an enormous contribution to the “golden century” of natural history illustration between 1750 and 1850.

Franz worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew for over 50 years and was later employed as “Botanick Painter to his Majesty.” He drew all the new flowering plants at Kew and specialized in painting orchids. Franz's work is noted for its ability to capture the intricate aspects of plants. His brother Ferdinand traveled with botanists and explorers to map and record the natural flora and fauna of Greece and Australia.

Pierre Jean François Turpin (1775 – 1840)

Frenchman Pierre Jean François Turpin was a self-taught artist from the Napoleonic era who is considered to be one of the greatest botanical illustrators. Both a botanist and a masterful watercolorist, the plant genus Turpinia is named in honor of his creative legacy.

Anne Pratt (1806 – 1893)

Photo: Anne Pratt via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Anne Pratt is one of the best-known English botanical illustrators of the Victorian age. She contributed to the popularization of botany by writing and illustrating more than 20 books.

Marianne North (1830 – 1890)

Photo: Marianne North via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Self-taught British artist Marianne North traveled the world painting plants and flowers. She produced 833 paintings from 17 countries in 14 years, depicting more than 900 species of plants. Her paintings are now housed in the Marianne North Gallery at Kew Gardens, London.

Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919)

Photo: Ernst Haeckel via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Born in Germany in 1834, Ernst Haeckel spent his life researching flora and fauna “from the highest mountaintops to the deepest ocean.” A biologist, naturalist, philosopher, and artist, his scientific botanical illustrations helped to educate the world about microscopic organisms that were previously unseen. Haeckel's artwork uniquely depicts extraordinary detail that undoubtedly helps in understanding plants. He uses symmetry in his composition, not only for visual appeal but also for scientific accuracy to illustrate the structure of organisms. His work has left a lasting legacy both in the scientific and artistic worlds and has even inspired the work of artists today.

Contemporary Botanical Artists

While traditional illustrations of the past were usually rendered with paint on paper, today’s contemporary botanical art comes in a variety of styles and mediums.

Tiffany Bozic

 

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Self-taught artist Tiffany Bozic’s incredible illustrations are inspired by her “travels to wild places” and her exposure to various research specimens at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Rendered with watered-down layers of acrylic paint on panels of maple wood, each anatomically correct plant, flower, animal, and insect is painted with precise detail—just like vintage botanical illustrations in old science books. However, Bozic often adds her own surreal twist, depicting her earthly subjects as if they’re from another reality.

Kate Kato

 

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Artist Kate Kato crafts detailed paper sculptures based on various mushrooms, flowers, and insects found within the Welsh valley of her hometown. Influenced by her childhood fascination with botanical illustrations, Kato creates each work to accurately reflect the natural ephemera’s true forms. Each work is made from recycled paper that the artist tints with natural dyes.

“I have always been fascinated by the natural world; a love instilled in me at a young age, and documenting what I discover has become my main motivation for creating my work,” Kato reveals in an artist statement. “As a child I spent a lot of time collecting bits and pieces in tins or boxes which I would take with me on walks through parks or countryside. This has had a huge influence on my work along with my love of botanical illustrations, the natural sciences and the nostalgia of museum visits where, as a child, I would be mesmerized by the variety of exhibits and the way they were displayed. I tend to view my work as a 3D record of my knowledge and experiences of the natural world.”

Zadok Ben-David

 

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London-based artist Zadok Ben-David created an incredible, touring floor installation made up of up to 27,000 hand-painted steel etched flowers based on drawings from 19th Century Victorian encyclopedias. Titled Blackfield, the sprawling array of plant life appeared as black on one side, but when stood from the other side, a vibrant field of color was revealed. The project explored perception and perspective, and as well as life and death.

Rogan Brown

 

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Just like the work of 19th-century biologist Ernst Haeckel, Rogan Brown’s work explores the intricate forms found in microorganisms. The Anglo-Irish artist’s series, Magic Circle, comprises hand- and laser-cut paper sculptures that capture the texture and patterns found in coral, bacteria, and microbes. Each elaborate bio-sculpture requires hours of precise cutting and layering of paper, resulting in a fascinating labyrinth of hypnotic white shapes. Although influenced by scientific drawings, Brown chooses to play with the imagination, creating his own versions of each natural form.

“I am inspired in part by the tradition of scientific drawing and model making, and particularly the work of artist-scientists such as Ernst Haeckel,” Brown says. “But although my approach involves careful observation and detailed ‘scientific' preparatory drawings, these are always superseded by the work of the imagination; everything has to be refracted through the prism of the imagination, estranged and in some way transformed.”

Laura Hart

 

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British glass artist Laura Hart explores the exotic beauty of orchids with her incredibly realistic botanical sculptures. Each perfectly crafted form depicts the flower’s delicate petals, near-perfect symmetry, and vibrant colors and patterns. “My fascination with orchids spans decades and at one point I had nearly seventy in my conservatory,” Hart reveals. “The explosion of color and perfume during the flowering months intoxicate the senses.”

Each piece is scaled up to around 30cm, but still features true-to-form shapes and colors based around the different 28,000 known species of orchid. Hart says, “I endeavor to recreate these incredible flowers as faithfully and authentically as possible, whilst imbuing them with my own artistic interpretation.”

This article has been edited and updated.

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READ: What Is Botanical Illustration? Learn About the History of This Scientific Art Form

Wildlife photographer Joe Moreno recently visited Lake Clark National Park in Alaska to capture the remarkable Alaska Peninsula brown bears, often referred to as “peninsular grizzlies.” These majestic creatures are among the largest brown bears in the world, yet Moreno captures intimate moments that reveal their surprisingly gentle side.

Lake Clark National Park is renowned for its wild beauty. Its lush forests and pristine rivers create an ideal habitat for brown bears, as the land is abundant in food sources such as protein-rich sedge grass, berries, and, come late July, a significant salmon run. Fortunately, the land and the bears are now protected, but this wasn’t always the case.

“Lake Clark is a very unique and special place to view Coastal Brown Bears in their natural habitat,” Moreno tells My Modern Met. “Forty years ago was the last time a bear was hunted and killed in this location.” Today, lodge owners, park rangers, and guides strive to build trust with the native brown bears, fostering a sense of tolerance and respect from these magnificent animals.

Wildlife photographers from around the world started coming to the Kenai Peninsula in Lake Clark National Park around 15 years ago, but they can’t get up close to the bears without a trained guide close by. Moreno explains, “There are hard rules that humans need to follow and by doing so continue the positive relationship between bears and humans.”

Following safety guidelines and gaining the bears’ trust have really paid off for Moreno. His amazing photos give us a glimpse into the fascinating lives and personalities of these notorious grizzlies. Each bear appears completely unfazed by Moreno’s presence as they roam the land, hunt, eat, wrestle, and entertain potential mates.

“You know when bears are play-fighting because they do not make any vocalizations like the bears in this photograph,” Moreno said of one particular shot. “However, when they fight for real, you hear sounds coming from deep within them that are what nightmares are made of.”

During his time at the park, Moreno learned to recognize the individual bears living there. One particularly striking photo captures a female bear named “Crimp Ear” gazing sleepily into the camera as she relaxes on the beach. Moreno reveals, “Her friends just call her Crimp.”

Scroll down to see more of Moreno's exceptional grizzly bear photography, which is also available for purchase.

Wildlife photographer Joe Moreno recently captured the remarkable lives of Alaska Peninsula brown bears at Lake Clark National Park.

These majestic creatures are among the largest brown bears in the world, yet Moreno captures intimate moments that reveal their surprisingly gentle side.

Moreno's amazing photos give us a glimpse into the fascinating lives and personalities of these notorious grizzlies.

The park's rangers and guides have spent years building trust with the native bears, fostering a sense of tolerance from these magnificent animals.

Moreno's incredible photos raise awareness about the importance of preserving wild environments and their inhabitants.

Joe Moreno: Instagram | Shop

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Joe Moreno.

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READ: Wildlife Photographer Captures Intimate Photos of Alaska’s Grizzly Bears

Steel is typically viewed as a tough, durable material, but Johannesburg-based artist Regardt van der Meulen uses it to sculpt delicate, fragmented human forms. His intricate works explore themes of “time, memory, and mortality” and emphasize the fragility of human existence.

Van der Meulen has been honing his craft for over 20 years, with each new piece being as impressive as the last. He chose steel as his medium of expression due to its versatility and unique qualities.

“It has a great ability to not only capture strength but also a sense of movement and fragility,” he tells My Modern Met. “In its natural state, it will rust and erode away which fits in perfectly with the theory of my work.”

Erosion, destruction, and decay come to mind when viewing Van der Meulen’s work. His sculptures seem to disintegrate before your eyes, resembling fleeting figures made of flaking ash.

One of his latest works, titled Twigs, depicts a fragmented figure mid-stride, entwined with metal sprigs. This sculpture powerfully illustrates the idea that we are intrinsically connected to nature, and in death, we merge back into it, becoming one with the earth.

In another work, titled Restoration, a metal figure looks down at his chest, holding a piece of his fragmenting body. It's as if he has just noticed his own form changing, reminding us that life's transformations can occur when we least expect them.

While most parts of Van der Meulen’s figures seem to fragment and recede, the hands and feet often remain intact. This detail is a hallmark of the artist’s work, where you often find intricately crafted fingers, toes, and even veins rendered in metal. These preserved elements give each sculpture a lasting and tangible human presence, even as they seem to decay.

Check out the artist’s latest work below and find more of his amazing sculptures by following Van der Meulen on Instagram.

Artist Regardt van der Meulen creates fragmented steel sculptures that explore themes of time and mortality.

The artist's work challenges our understanding of hard steel by manipulating it to create forms that seem delicate and vulnerable.

Many works appear to be decaying before our eyes.

While most parts of Van der Meulen’s figures seem to fragment and recede, the hands and feet often remain intact.

Regardt Van Der Meulen: Website | Instagram | Facebook

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Regardt Van Der Meulen.

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READ: Fragmented Steel Sculptures Capture the Fragility of Human Life