Travis Louie

Dorothy and Her Damsel Fly

Sir Frederic Burke and His Leviathan

The Family Yeti

Herman and Morris

 A Boy and His Squid

What could be more wholesome than a portrait of a boy and his squid? These paintings, by artist Travis Louie, are from "Curious Pets," Louie's latest exhibition, at Merry Karnowsky Gallery, and "The Creature Show," a previous installation at Roq La Rue Gallery, both of which feature some very unusual animals and the people who love them. Now, while a family yeti and pet damsel fly may not be your first choice of companion, it's difficult to not get completely drawn into Louie's strange, quasi-Victorian, highly detailed world. I particularly the way that Louie creates an entire story to go with each painting. The Family Yeti, for example:

For as long as anyone can remember, there has always been a Yeti in the Wallace family. Victoria Wallace spent most of her adult life concentrating her efforts on “Yeti awareness”. Over the last few centuries, it has become the Wallace family’s primary philanthropic endeavor. No one knows for certain how long these docile hairy beasts can live. The current family Yeti is believed to be over 300 years old. It has become a tradition for each generation to have their portrait painted with the Yeti. 

See more of the art of Travis Louie right here. 

(Via Cool Hunting)