Art with matches

Due to the damn internet, we can't help but have intimidating expectations for any new artist. Since we've seen portraits made with everything from skittles, to toast to guitar picks to belly button fluff (okay that was a lie), we naturally expect a lot.

So, prepare to paint yourself extremely impressed and a little envious of Mike Bell. He's created a collection of portraits on packs of matches. Managing to include the matches themselves in each 3D piece, he's given fresh spins on everyone from Batman to Elton John.

"I wanted to create art on an common object that people discarded," Mike told us. "I pondered this as I drank a beer in my local pub, I started to doodle on my drink coaster when someone next to me asked the bartender for a pack of matches. I thought – yes...that’s it! A compact, flat surface, decent paper and the added feature...matches."

You can find more of his work here.