By Amy Reast
An artist has created a microscopic replica of a Picasso painting, smaller than a flea, and it fits in the eye of a needle.
David A. Lindon, 56, is a micro artist creating tiny sculptures which have claimed him several World Records.
The artist, from Bournemouth, Dorset, most recently re-created Pablo Picasso’s The Weeping Woman - so incredibly small it is tinier than a flea.
The artwork bears a strong resemblance to the original Picasso art - except David's is 1mm tall by 0.8mm wide.
It is mounted inside the eye of a needle and displayed within a tiny metal case with a clear window.
He has even visited the original The Weeping Woman, on display at The Tate Modern.
David A. Lindon's latest works. (David A. Lindon via SWNS)
David said: "Standing next to Picasso’s masterpiece, I couldn’t help wondering what he would have thought."
David takes months to create each teeny-weeny artwork.
He has previously made microscopic zoo animals, microscopic Banksy artworks and even a microscopic Mickey Mouse.
But the creation of his Picasso piece nearly ended in disaster - while working late at night under the microscope, David was startled when what appeared to be a giant ladybird landed on his easel.
He said the sudden movement caused his fingers to twitch, tearing the microscopic painting into several invisible fragments.
“It was shredded — like Banksy’s Love Is in the Bin,” he said.
After carefully removing the insect and putting her gently outside the window, David spent hours desperately searching for the missing pieces of the painting and then very slowly he began to put them back together.
Lindon recreated Pablo Picasso’s The Weeping Woman inside the eye of a needle. (David A. Lindon via SWNS)
He found himself working on a microscopic jigsaw that was so small it couldn't be seen with the human eye.
Eventually, he painstakingly reassembled the artwork, describing the process as “microscopic brain surgery.”
The restored piece is now complete — and, in his words, one of the finest paintings he has ever made.
He said: "If you took exact copies of my microscopic-size painting and placed them side by side, covering the entire surface of the Picasso original, you would need a staggering 381,250 pieces of micro art!"
David has to make his own tools to create his incredible works - because none on earth are small enough for him to use.
Along with micro sized pigments, fibers and metals, he uses "tools from nature" - including hair from a dragonfly's leg as a precision paintbrush for painting eyes, and antenna from a stag beetle to create hair textures.
He said: "Other tools have ultra fine hairs for painting, holding and manipulating the art.
"With a huge variety of attachments from drills, saws, forks, tweezers to paint brushes and lifting and holding tools I have a micro toolbox at my disposal."
Pablo Picasso’s The Weeping Woman. (David A. Lindon via SWNS)
He works at nighttime to avoid the "vibrations of daytime traffic" and works between heartbeats, in a meditative state.
David said: "If I don't concentrate all the time my fingers can accidentally flick weeks of work off from under the microscope.
"When it disappears from my sight, it will probably never be seen again."
Despite the challenging work, David says he feels motivated by people's shock and amazement.
He said: "What keeps me going through the long hours is seeing the look of wonder and astonishment on people's faces.
"Especially when they see my art in person for the first time.
"I get a huge sense of achievement having created something so special despite the many challenges working under a microscope.
"I am always looking to improve and I'm always looking to see just how small I can go."