After adding tiny figures to torn pieces of cardboard and large dollops of paint, Italy-based artist Golsa Golchini is continuing her unique series on larger surfaces. She fills framed canvases with abstract representations of natural and urban environments, and populates these isolated places with realistic people and animals.

Each of these miniature worlds pulses with energy. Golchini conveys a sense of movement in her works by applying paint in an expressive way. She spreads colorful mixtures across the canvas to create rivers of water, flowing waves, layers of snow, and even rough building walls. These sections of paint then become the home for the artist's cast of tiny characters—from relaxed bikini-clad sunbathers to surfers to racing skiers.

Additionally, Golchini tends to leave a surreal marker in her paintings. Somewhere on the canvas, usually below the largest puddle of dried paint, there is a wide brush that is stuck where it presumably “left its last mark.”

You can see Golchini's art in person at the WinArts Gallery in Milan, and purchase original pieces via her shop on Return of Art. Keep up to date with her latest projects by following the artist on Instagram.