Leslie Barnes' bursting-bright illustrations have a mysterious way of instantly lifting your spirits

Leslie Barnes is an award-winning illustrator and animator based in Glasgow whose compositions can fill any space with a breath of fresh air. I can't remember when I discovered Leslie's work. It must have been six or seven years ago. But I do remember my reaction when I first saw her unique, vibrant and eye-catching designs.

Although Leslie has always loved drawing, she actually has no formal art training (she has a degree in English Literature). Some of her illustrations are somewhat geometric, and the various patterns and effects that she creates are simply mesmerizing. The best part? You can buy limited edition, signed and numbered pieces in her store at remarkably affordable prices.

Leslie has created exclusive product ranges for both the V&A and the Tate Museums in London. Other clients include Clinique, Glamour Magazine, Random House, Puffin Books, Anorak, and OKIDO. She is the author and illustrator of three children's books.

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Sayaka Ganz creates amazing art menagerie from discarded plastics

I could never get enough of Sayaka Ganz . The Japanese-born artist saves the planet from plastic, at the same time creates brilliant animal sculptures. Raised under the Japanese philosophy of Shintoism, she hopes to bring greater awareness to the condition of our environment through her art. When creating sculptures, Sayaka organizes the reclaimed plastic objects into color groups, constructs a wire frame, and then carefully attaches the fragments of waste until she creates the shape she has envisioned. Her work has been exhibited in many places around the globe, among them Parma, Tokyo, Denver, New York, and San Francisco to name a few. Sayaka's Reclaimed Creations is currently on view at the Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University in Maryland. She regularly posts on Facebook, so be sure to like and follow her page for updates.

Irene Saputra's Colorful Stitched Pieces

Embroidery is nowhere near forgotten, and in fact, it's experiencing something of a resurgence as artists around the globe are putting their own unique spins on the craft. Indonesia's Irene Saputra is one of them, and more than 45,000 people on Instagram already follow her. Handmade from colorful threads stitched onto fabric, Irene's embroideries begin as original illustrations. What I really like about her stitched pieces is that some of them are meant to be worn. Look at an array of her handiwork!

This guy makes suits of armor for mice and cats

Calgary-based multi-media artist Jeff de Boer creates suits of armor… for cats and mice. He started designing and building these meticulously crafted metal pieces over 30 years ago as a little side project on his sculpting class at the Alberta College of Art and Design, where he majored in jewelry design. The side project eventually turned into a full time job. Jeff's work is inspired by Medieval times, Ancient Rome, the Renaissance Era, and Japan's Edo period. He uses different metals for his sculptures, but mostly bronze and copper. Though his creations look wearable, the artist has never really tried putting them on mice, though he did get scratched by one of his cats while doing so. While most of Jeff's work is done on a commission basis, he occasionally have pieces available for sale. Check out more of his impressive sculptures on his website and follow him on Facebook .

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