David A Lindon's micro art masterpieces sell for £90,000

Munch's The Scream and five other famous works of art have been recreated as micro art

A micro artist's tiny versions of six famous works of art have sold for more than £90,000.

David A Lindon has recreated Munch's The Scream, Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, Monet's Water Lily, Banksy's Girl With Balloon, and van Gogh's The Starry Night and Sunflowers.

His versions are small enough to fit into the eye of a needle.

The Bournemouth sculptor, who began his hobby in 2018, called it a "life-changing amount".

They have all been sold to private collectors for £15,000 each, prior to his first exhibition.

Van Gogh's Sunflowers is among the micro art being exhibited, seen here up close

and with a matchstick for scale

Mr Lindon only recently turned professional having previously worked in engineering.

He was first inspired by watching a TV programme about micro artist Willard Wigan, whose work he found "astonishing".

Shortly after he "woke up in the middle of the night" newly determined to join the profession himself.

In response, Mr Wigan has called Mr Lindon's work "very good".

He added: "The best micro artists in the world are from the UK. You have me, Graham Short, and David A Lindon."

Mr Lindon worked hard to perfect his new skill, and his interpretations of famous musicians, including Freddie Mercury and Amy Winehouse, soon began attracting attention.

David A Lindon also recreated a second van Gogh masterpiece, The Starry Night

He told the BBC he recently diversified into recreating famous masterpieces to further challenge himself.

"It seemed a natural progression to explore paintings and to discover just how small I can go," he said.

"Whilst creating a micro painting uses the same process as doing a full size art piece, there is a greater focus on transposing the aesthetic qualities of the original whilst representing them on a much smaller scale."

Mr Lindon works in an "almost emotionless trance" during the night to avoid distractions and unwanted noise, and spends more than a month on each 0.5mm-wide [0.02in] plastic piece.

Two years ago the former engineer "woke up in the middle of the night" determined to become a micro artist

But he professes to not enjoy agonising over the intricate artworks, which he describes as a "physical challenge and a mental battle".

"I have to slow my heartbeat down essentially," he explained, adding: "I control my nerves, I steady myself. I get lost in my own world, I really do."

He added: "The only thing I enjoy is when it's done. That relief, and then to see the expressions of joy and surprise on people's faces, is fantastic."

The six masterpieces and a further six pieces of art can been seen at A New Beginning, an exhibition at the Lighthouse Media Centre in Wolverhampton, until 29 October.

The sculptures can be lost when static electricity pulls them away, or from sneezes, coughs, or small drafts of wind

"I’ve been on my knees in the middle of the night with a torch trying to find Amy Winehouse and it’s almost impossible," Mr Lindon says

He says the "only thing I enjoy is when it's done... to see the expressions of joy and surprise on people's faces"