A Girl with a Pick, Ron Francis
 
If you find yourself unable to sleep tonight because you’re still contemplating the eerily life-like paintings featured in this post, be sure send a nice “thank-you” note to Sydney, Australia-born artist Ron Francis.
 

Time
 
Like so many artists, Francis (born Ronald Malcolm Francis) started his love affair with art at a young age. His earliest work, created when Francis was just a small child, featured large versions Disney characters that were composed on his bedroom wall. Thankfully, his budding creativity wasn’t discouraged by his parents. Sometime around his seventeenth birthday, Francis discovered oil paints and by the time he was 26, he was exhibiting his work all around Melbourne.
 

In the Face of God
 
As Francis further developed his unique, artistic perspective he discovered a distinct mathematical relationship between his viewpoint and the subject matter depicted in his work. So complex was Francis’ “system” of perspective and its relation to geometrics that he actually developed a piece of CAD (computer-aided design) software to help him manage linear perspective. It’s absolutely fascinating stuff.

After being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2005 (a battle Francis won), the now 61-year-old artist is still at work painting and creating images (which according to Francis are mostly inspired by “dreams or visions”) that invoke a distinct sense of contemplation with a strong tinge of anxiety. A timely sentiment, wouldn’t you agree?
 

Neighbors
 

How I Found Out
 

Furnace
 

Darwin
 

Olympic Dad
 

Skateboarding
 

Self Portrait as my Father
 

Self Defence
 

On the Edge

Previously on Dangerous Minds:
Hyperrealistic sculptures of Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali and Abraham Lincoln