Going Traditional in a Digital World

What's behind the resurgence of wooden toys in the screen age? First, they are sturdy enough to be passed on for generations. Second, they never go out of style. Most wooden playthings also enhance the creativity and imagination of kids and help them with numeracy, literacy, motor skills and problem solving. They are also biodegradable and some are made from sustainable timber. Last but not the least, there are lots of quality wooden toys on the market that won't leave a hole in your wallet—like this unique piece of artwork from Greek design studio Matolaki.

This beautifully-crafted push-pull toy is guaranteed plastic free, doesn't need batteries and run on pure imagination. In the box you'll find a nice hand-printed cotton pouch, tied to a plan-card of a few animal toy models. Recommended for children ages 3 and up. You can get them for about $63 on Etsy.

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The Work of Mauricio Paz Viola

Self-taught Uruguayan artist Mauricio Ezequiel Paz Viola has a knack for blending shapes and colors in striking combinations to create abstract forms with an exciting curiosity surging through them. His style has evolved from realism, landscape and portraits in his youth to surrealism and expressionism. Since his arrival in Chile in 2008, he started to focus on abstract expressionism. Take a look at some of his colour-intensive, multi-layered paintings below, and don't forget to visit his website for an endless amount of inspiration. Artist statement: I would define my artwork as a manifestation of self, an extension of my spirit or sub-consciousness, which is still beyond my grasp and lies at the deepest sphere of pure self. In particular, I try to minimize intellectual inclinations when I create to prevent the ego, the fictitious self from intervening, and hence my works are the most loyal reflections of who I am (dreamer, fantasy-prone, sensitive, sexual and a bit dark ...

Cristina BanBan's vibrant paintings of voluptuous women

These colorful and bubbly images are the work of Cristina BanBan , a Spanish artist and illustrator currently based in London. She paints mostly with acrylics, and I'm engrossed in her bold, vibrant style and voluptuous characters. Cristina is one of the newest voices to emerge in the London art scene and has already extensively exhibited her paintings in numerous shows. She is a Fine Arts graduate of the University of Barcelona, and received Royal Academy's Arts Club Award in 2017. Be sure to follow Cristina on Instagram for more colorful and humorous paintings.

Eric van Straaten's 3D-Printed Statuettes

I can't remember when I first became entranced with Eric van Straaten 's 3D-printed sculptures. I think I stumbled onto his work through tumblr when I was searching for new artists to follow. Eric's attention to detail is pretty amazing, and the image of the eroticized child-woman is familiar throughout his work. Most of his hyper surreal pieces are 3D-printed in sandstone material, which are created by laying down a thin layer of gypsum powder and using a binding agent and color inks to print a pattern onto it. Once the entire model is printed, it is withdrawn from the print bed and the excess powder is removed. The model is then sealed and ready for display. "I think that the girls I create in my work are visualizations of my own feelings, fantasies and thoughts," the Dutch artist explains. "The girls actually look like someone I (used to) know and the different ‘portraits’ tell something about what I think of myself in regards to her or women ...

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