Diana Herrera’s Incredibly Lifelike Paper Birds Look Like They Could Take Flight

Colombian artist <a href="http://www.ppiinnee.com/" target="_blank">Diana Beltran Herrera</a> transforms simple pieces of paper into vibrant feathered friends. Armed with only colorful sheets of paper and scissors, the artist finely cuts each piece, to make delicate and exotic birds from around the world. Herrera’s intricate sculptures are so realistic, they seem as if they are about to take flight!

Trained as an industrial designer, the Bogota based artist has been focusing her design skills to make a body of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/artist-will-kurtz-sculpts-lifelike-people-out-of-recycled-newspapers/" target="_blank">sculptural paper works</a>, namely a collection of birds.

Being that birds are generally an animal that one cannot touch, as they soar through the skies, Herrerea was inspired to recreate their beauty in a series of strong hued sculptures.

Each of Herrera’s <a href="http://inhabitat.com/paige-smith-paper-geodes-add-sparkle-to-nondescript-los-angeles-buildings/" target="_blank">paper sculptures</a> are an incredible replica of the actual bird, looking accurate enough to please any audoban society.

Using pencil thin cuts, the artist creates fluffy and delicate feathers from <a href="http://inhabitat.com/michael-velliquette-transforms-paper-into-colorful-textured-sculptures/" target="_blank">fine grade papers</a>.

The birds are made by building up layers of colorful cut paper, using foil enhanced papers for the particularly ornate species. The bright birds can be found with beaks open in song, wing span outstretched in mid-flight, or standing alert, looking for a delicious paper caterpillar to call dinner.

The paper master created a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/colombian-designer-diana-beltran-herrera-creates-delicate-birds-from-colorful-paper/" target="_blank">series of tropical birds</a>, and has since moved on to a series of birds familiar to our own neighborhoods, such as black starlings and bright red cardinals. The gorgeous creatures have been shown in Herrera’s native Colombia, as well as Denmark, where she studied under artist Hanni Bkartalid.