Asheville, North Carolina–based pop surrealist Scott Mills portrays nature in its most fantastical form. The Detroit-born, self-taught painter is best known for his vibrant menagerie of otherworldly creatures, from antlered birds and moss-covered bears to fuzzy pink monsters. His imaginative worlds are rooted in a lifelong fascination with the natural world, filtered through interests in psychology, philosophy, spirituality, toys, cartoons, and the interplay of unexpected colors and ideas.

“My work grew out of a love of nature, combined with my interests in psychology and philosophy, toys and cartoons, juxtaposed colors and ideas, and spirituality,” Mills says. “I usually do not plan my paintings out, and enjoy the surprise and challenge of letting the work slowly reveal itself.”