Sure, you think that colored pencils are needed only for drawing and ear picking, but Jennifer Maestre doesn’t think so. The artist always uses things other than for their intended purpose.

Meet Jennifer Maestre, a South African-born, Massachusetts-based artist, who makes beautiful sculptures using wooden pencils.

"My sculpture art was originally inspired by the form and function of the sea urchin. The spines of the urchin, so dangerous yet beautiful, serve as an explicit warning against contact. The alluring texture of the spines draws the touch in spite of the possible consequences. The tension unveiled, we feel the push and pull, desire and repulsion. The sections of pencils present aspects of sharpness and smoothness for two very different textural and aesthetic experiences.

To make the pencil sculptures, I take hundreds of pencils, cut them into 1-inch sections, drill a hole in each section (to turn them into wooden beads), sharpen them all, and sew them together to form a unique artwork. The beading technique I rely on most is peyote stitch," Jennifer wrote on her website.

More info: jennifermaestre.com | Instagram | Etsy