The Obama Family 'In The Eye Of A Needle'

William Wigan is a British sculptor, who specializes in creating micro sculptures - In fact they are so small that they fit into the eye of a needle or on a pinhead and can only be viewed through a microscope.

Over the years, the sculptor, who has been dubbed the eighth wonder of the world, has featured many celebrities and even royalty into the tiny needle eyes. However, it is his latest sculpture that he is really proud of - One of the Obama family carved into the eye of a 24-carat gold needle.

The masterpiece, which took three months to make, was in anticipation of the artist's first US tour, which began in Los Angeles on June 11th. Besides the Obamas the artist is also showcasing twenty other pieces, which include sculptures of Ben Hur in a Chariot, Nelson Mandela and the Statue of Liberty. While he may sell the rest, he hopes to meet and gift the one of the Obama family to the President.

William Wigan, began his career at the age of five, when he started building houses for ants, because he thought they needed somewhere to live. Born dyslexic in a time when nobody understood the condition, he was often shunned and laughed at by his classmates and chastised by teachers. Building ant homes and then shoes and hats for the tiny creatures, helped him hide from his unhappy state and has resulted in creating some of the world's smallest and most amazing works of art.

However, William's form of art is not easy to create. His creations are so fragile and tiny that before he starts working on a piece he meditates to slow down his heartbeat and works between pulse beats. Since a slight noise could ruin his creation, he often works late at nights when the disturbance level is low.

He has had some mishaps in the past - like the time when he inhaled his creation of five ballerinas, which were being carved out of a single fiber.

The materials he uses are as unconventional as his sculptures, and include things like flecks of gold, grains of sand, sugar and even particles of dust. To add color, he uses hair off a fly's back or even his own eyelashes.

As would be expected, William's works are very coveted and very expensive to obtain. Last year, he sold 72 pieces to one customer for a whopping $20 million USD. To read more about this amazing man, go to www.willard-wigan.com.

sources:dailymail.co.uk,earthtimes.org,willardwigan.com