If you like art with a polished finish look no further than these incredible masterpieces painted using nail varnish. Famous faces such as Marilyn Monroe and the Mona Lisa have been cleverly brushed to perfection with the cosmetic product. Talented artist Cristiam Ramos spends roughly four to five weeks on each painting and has created 15 altogether. Cristiam said: "It's totally different to painting with normal paint because you cannot blend, it dries too fast and therefore you have to use very small amounts of paint on each application. "I always look for new challenges and many artists have copied classical works but nobody has done it in a material as hard to work with. "It dries in seconds which gives me a margin too short to blend colours. "People are amazed. They've said I'm crazy and that they've never seen anything like it. "When women find out it's nail polish, they tend to be more surprised because they know how hard it is to paint with." Cristiam says he goes through roughly 40-50 bottles for each painting which go up to 36 by 48 inches. He says each one costs him up to $1000 taking into account the polish, brushes and solvents. Cristiam said: "The only celebrity I've done is Marilyn Monroe and it was because she was particularly associated with feminine beauty and nail polish is part of the beauty in women. "The others are masterpieces of great painters such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Monet, van Gogh, and Georges Seurat." One of Cristiam's paintings will set you back between $4,000 to $9,000 depending on the size and complexity of the piece. He said: "I have to rest on average thirty minutes each time I work as the smell is very strong and I need to use a mask to work. I think that every day I have a headache, but it's worth it. "Sometimes I take the nail varnish from my wife if I need it."

A FORMER tree surgeon has turned artist to hand-carve these intricate models. Rob Heard, 47, from Somerset, creates the "Bough Houses" from Leylandii, a tree that has no real use once felled. Ex-tree surgeon Rob hit on the idea of creating the sculptures as a way of staving off boredom following a car accident that laid him up for six months. He said: "I wanted to make them from Leylandii because as a tree surgeon I knew they were a thug of a tree with little or no use once felled. "I started making the Bough Houses for my daughters to play with and they are very much for the kids. "I love it when we have taken the sculptures to fairs and children rush up and start touching them. Their parents are always screaming for them not to touch them. "But I want them to be art you can play with."

Penelope Curtis, director at Tate Britain poses for a picture next to 19th century paintings at the Tate Museum on May 13, 2013 in London, England. The new chronological presentation of the world’s greatest collection of British art will allow visitors to experience the national collection of British art in a continuous chronological display from the 1500s to the present day.

A thrifty artist is turning his trash into cash - using empty aluminium cans to create unique artworks. Jeff Ivanhoe, 67, has been crafting the 'AluMosaics' at his studio in New York for more than 30 years. During that time he has sold more than 150 artworks - ranging from golf balls and cars to Marilyn Monroe and Abraham Lincoln. They sell for anywhere between £1,500 and £4,000 each. Each one is carved from tiny pieces of aluminium cans carefully arranged into portraits and images. Jeff originally studied art at the University of Arizona. He then went to work in the field of advertising before becoming the executive art director for Metropolitan Pittsburgh Public Broadcasting. A self-confessed perfectionist, Jeff requires just a meagre budget for materials as he uses only discarded drinks cans to create his mosaics, which he spends weeks putting together. Jeff said: "My dog Walter wakes me at 5am every day to work. I have had some challenging commissions over the last year."

'A Voluptuary Under The Horrors Of Digestion' by Charlie Billingham (L) and 'Myth Interrupted' by James Balmforth (R) during the press preview of the 'New Order: British Art Today' exhibition at Saatchi Gallery on April 25, 2013 in London, England.

COFFEE artist Mike Breach turns Leonardo DiCaprio into Leonardo DiCappuccino with his incredible 'baristart'. Coffee shop baristas regularly create simple patterns like hearts on their concoctions, but 'latte portrait artist' Mike, 29 from New York City takes it one step further by capturing world famous faces in his tasty works of art. Included in his repertoire of baristart pieces are portraits dubbed Al Cap-puccino, a William Shakespeare rendition he calls 'Foameo and Juliet', and a Kurt Cobain face he calls 'Kurt Cobean'. "I started doing this originally for myself, because it was just fun," Mike said. "I kept doing it because I noticed the reactions of everybody, and how happy it made them." Just like any barista, Mike starts by pouring steamed milk over an espresso shot. Then using a large cocktail stick, he carefully draws his image by stroking the dark coffee cream across the milk foam. The first face Mike drew was a portrait of Kiss singer Gene Simmons, which was hatched from a simple heart design. Other creations Mike now regularly whips ups include renditions of Marilyn Monroe, Star Trek character Spock, and Robocop-accino. It takes about 5 minutes to complete each portrait. "A favourite cappuccino of people watching me work is the John Lennon portrait," he said. "It's one of the simpler ones to do when I'm put on the spot." Mike doesn't draw just faces, but also famous icons like Jaws and the Manhattan skyline. He's planning a book of his greatest baristart pieces, and a business based around hosting private events. Mike first got the idea for "baristart" while working in a hotel. The budding artist had frequently drawn sketches with pens and pencils, but began to experiment at his job with coffee, milk, and cocktail sticks. "I like the fact that it doesn't last forever, because it really makes the gesture resonate with the person I'm making them for," he added. "Everyone needs to feel special once in a while and I'm glad I can make them smile with my Baristart.