Surreal art & illustration

Explore Hunter Little’s surreal paintings and illustrations. Strange characters, uneasy places, and original artwork from the Milwaukee area.

Orange lava curls into a breaking wave above a quiet shore.

Lava Tide

The sea got tired of being the sensible one. Tonight it is trying fire, and the shore has wisely kept its opinions to itself.

A crescent moon rests inside a whirlpool of dark clouds.

A Cloudy Night

The moon has pulled the clouds up to its chin. Whatever needs doing can wait until morning; even the sky is entitled to a difficult evening.

A violet crystal ball glows beside a spectral figure and an open curtain.

The Fortune Room

The fortune teller knows what happens next. Unfortunately, the ghost behind the curtain has been giving away the endings all afternoon.

A blue-robed figure holds out a hand beneath a hovering ghost.

A Small Prediction

A hand, a hush, a visitor small enough to mistake for a thought. The future has arrived without an appointment.

Flower-covered branches form a doorway into a winding woodland path.

The Long Way Through

There is a quicker way home. It has no flowers, no suspicious doorways, and absolutely nothing worth being late for.

Gold gears frame a long, sculptural face against deep brown shadows.

Clockwork Thoughts

Some people count sheep. Somewhere behind this face, a tiny mechanic is still trying to fix a thought from Tuesday.

Two stone faces meet in a quiet embrace.

Stone, Softly

They had all the time in the world to find the right words. In the end, they leaned a little closer.

A white ghost appears in a framed mirror in a dimly lit room.

A Familiar Haunting

The new tenant is quiet, tidy, and very difficult to photograph. The mirror has offered to handle introductions.

A purple-clad figure faces a mirror beside a red mask.

Someone Else in the Glass

The reflection was supposed to copy. Lately it has developed opinions about the outfit, the company, and who ought to be standing on which side.

A pale ghost studies a smaller shadow in an oval mirror.

Ghost, Reflected

Even ghosts check the mirror before going out. Looking frighteningly presentable takes work.

A hand lifts the sea like a rug while a brush sweeps across the water.

Under the Surface

Someone has been sweeping things under the ocean again. One small corner lifted, and suddenly the whole household has questions.

A pale head opens into a tall, curling shape beneath a muted sky.

An Open Mind

An open mind sounds lovely until the ideas begin using it as a balcony. Nobody remembered to install a railing.

A red form floats above an open head in a dreamlike landscape.

The Red Thought

Most thoughts know when to leave. This one has brought a suitcase and painted it red.

A dark-haired man looks sideways in a close, blue-shadowed portrait.

Anxiously I wait

The waiting has become a room of its own. Every passing sound tries the handle.

A child kneels in a patch of earth surrounded by snow and bare trees.

Boy

Winter has covered nearly everything. The boy has found one small patch it missed, and for now that is enough of a beginning.

A lone figure stands in the sea and casts a line toward a starry sky.

Catching Stars

The stars are not biting tonight. Still, there are worse ways to spend an evening than teaching the sky to tug back.

A weathered clocktower rises from rolling waves beneath a bright clouded sky.

Clocktower

The tide took the streets, the houses, and most of the afternoon. The clock insists it is still keeping excellent time.

Hands reach through a jagged opening in an ochre wall.

Through the Wall

For years the wall had been very good at being a wall. Then someone on the other side got lonely.

A pale dancer and a tall shadow reach toward each other in blue light.

One Last Dance

The music has nearly finished. Neither dancer has mentioned that one of them belongs to the dark.

A suited figure waits beside a pool table scattered with fruit.

Fruit on the Felt

The rules of the game have changed since last night. Nobody will explain the fruit, and everyone is pretending this is normal.

Weathered faces emerge from the twisting bark of an old tree.

The Forest Has Faces

Be careful what you tell the trees. They have long memories and very little else to talk about.

Bare feet grow into long green blades of grass.

Taking Root

Just a moment's rest, they said. By spring, the ground had made other arrangements.

A woman in a purple dress sits among red roses beneath a muted sky.

Among the Roses

The roses are excellent company. They ask no questions, though they do occasionally insist on drawing blood.

A small white bird balances above an elderly scholar's head.

The Scholar and the Bird

The scholar has spent a lifetime collecting answers. The bird would like to know whether any of them are edible.

A masked figure carries framed pictures through a room of watchful faces.

The Collector I

He came to collect the pictures. The pictures had rather different plans for him.

A suited figure holds a flower painting beside an uncanny face.

The Collector II

One more painting, he promised. The wall behind him made the same tired sound it always did.

A painter looks up at a hovering palette and twisting forms.

The Collector III

The work has started hovering. This is either a breakthrough or a very good reason to stop for lunch.

A rabbit sits atop an enormous red hat while its wearer raises both hands.

The Uninvited Rabbit

The rabbit was not in the rehearsal. It has arrived with impressive confidence and no intention of returning to the hat.

An oversized pale rabbit-shaped helmet covers a child's head beside a distant tower.

Long Ears I

The disguise was meant to make the world less frightening. It has mostly made doorways more complicated.

A smooth rabbit mask fills the foreground of a dark, dreamlike landscape.

Long Ears II

Behind the mask, someone is listening. Those ears are not entirely for show.

A long-eared oval mask sits above a red coat and a distant house.

Long Ears III

A rabbit face and a good coat can get you surprisingly far. Getting home again is another matter.

A white profile opens to reveal a tangle of golden gears.

The Machinery Within

There is a whole workshop behind the quiet face. Somebody really ought to let the staff go home.

A blue globe turns inside a large gold gear above a bowed head.

World in the Works

He was told to keep the world turning. Nobody mentioned that he was allowed to put it down.

Bright capsules pour into an open, bowl-shaped head.

A Head Full

Everyone has a suggestion for what belongs inside this head. There is less and less room for the person who lives there.

A small figure stands with folded arms beneath an oversized smiling face.

All Smiles I

The smile arrived first. The rest of him is still deciding whether to attend.

A suited figure holds a round smiling mask and a small mirror.

All Smiles II

A cheerful face for every occasion. He keeps checking the mirror to remember which one is his.

A blue-coated figure runs past an ornate mirror in an open landscape.

Outrunning the Reflection

The reflection is very good at keeping up. Today he intends to give it a sporting chance to fall behind.

A bee carries a shopping basket through shelves of honey jars.

The Honey Errand

The bee would like to speak to the manager. There are some fairly serious questions about who did the work.

A cow stands in a shop beside shelves of milk bottles.

The Milk Aisle

She has come to inspect the dairy aisle. Nobody behind the counter seems eager to make eye contact.

A white chicken peers over a basket of eggs in a grocery shop.

The Egg Aisle

The chicken knows exactly where these came from. The shopkeeper is reconsidering the phrase locally sourced.

A small pink pig stands at a wooden shop counter.

The Bacon Counter

The little pig had only meant to buy something for dinner. Reading the signs has rather spoiled the appetite.

A thin tree carries a single oversized lemon above an empty plain.

One Lemon in the Desert

The tree has put everything into this one lemon. You have to admire that kind of unreasonable commitment.

An open purple head floats beneath a hovering stack of rounded forms.

Loose Thoughts I

The thoughts have slipped their moorings. For once, nobody is rushing to tie them down.

A serene face rises into a tall red headdress beneath a pink sky.

Loose Thoughts II

Some ideas insist on making an entrance. This one has dressed for the occasion and blocked the view behind it.

A round object balances above a pink head surrounded by blue water.

Loose Thoughts III

Keeping a thought balanced is difficult enough on dry land. The water, as usual, has declined to help.

A woman studies an oval mirror with a smaller looking glass in her hand.

Looking for Faults

The first mirror was unkind, so she brought another to check its work. They have begun agreeing a little too enthusiastically.

A crowd of laughing faces surrounds one large golden face.

Everybody Smile

The invitation said bring a smile. Nobody thought to ask what would happen if there were nothing underneath.

A somber face sits below rows of distant figures in green and gold.

Alone in the Crowd

So many people, and still nowhere to put the feeling. The crowd moves on without noticing what it has left behind.

A smiling white ghost waits near a mirror in a warm yellow room.

Still Here I

The haunting has settled into a routine. A little hovering, a little smiling, and plenty of time by the mirror.

A white ghost wears a black hat beneath a dark archway.

Still Here II

Death has done nothing for his punctuality. At least he remembered a hat.

A laughing ghost stands beside a mirror in a golden room.

Still Here III

The mirror has finally told a good joke. It is going to be a very long night for anyone trying to sleep next door.

A white figure in a top hat gestures beside a skull and bright flowers.

A Cheerful Farewell

He brought flowers to his own farewell. It seemed rude to arrive empty-handed.

A hooded scholar holds a glowing light above an open book.

The Summoning I

The instructions were clear until the page started glowing. Now the book is being suspiciously quiet about the next step.

A horned skull hovers above a figure with raised hands.

The Summoning II

Something has answered. It does not appear to have read the invitation very carefully.

A figure stands beside a no-entry sign at the end of a wall above the ocean.

End of the Road II

The sign is quite firm about going no further. The sea has never been especially interested in signs.

A weary face watches over a wine glass, pills, and rising smoke.

Small Escapes I

There are several ways to leave a room without moving. None has made this one feel less crowded.

A pale woman sits before bottles and bright pills against a dark green background.

Small Escapes II

Every small escape promises a door. Some mornings all that is left is another wall.

A tired woman rests beside a bottle, a glass, and scattered pills.

Small Escapes III

The evening has been poured and counted out. What she needs is harder to name, and nowhere on the table.

Pale faces bend together inside a cluster of yellow flowers.

The Wilting Garden I

The garden has taken everyone's worries personally. Even the flowers look as though they could use a chair.

A suited figure towers over a tightly packed city in green and gold.

Above It All

From up here, everyone looks very small. That is the trouble with always trying to get above things.

A crowd of nearly identical suited figures looks outward.

One of a Kind

Each was assured they were unlike anyone else. The tailor has been making a fortune.

A white dove flies beside a burning branch against dark smoke.

The Last Branch

The bird has almost nothing left to carry. It carries it anyway.

A skeletal figure in a top hat carries a briefcase through the countryside.

Clocking Out

Death has finished the paperwork and is heading home. There will be no answering emails this evening.

Blue and golden faces meet in profile beneath a pale circle.

Sun Meets Moon

They meet in the brief hour when neither has to be in charge of the sky. Neither likes to waste it talking.

A golden house wears dark glasses beneath a watchful sun.

A House with a Face

The house would prefer not to be recognized. The sunglasses are doing very little to help.

A red-haired clown sits beneath a collection of oval mirrors.

The Room of Mirrors

The clown has an audience even when the room is empty. Tonight, nobody in the mirrors is laughing first.

A weathered crown rests against a cracked ochre wall.

The Cracked Crown

The kingdom may have gone, but the crown is still waiting for someone to straighten it.

A bowler hat sits inside the upper bulb of a tall hourglass.

Borrowed Time

He was only borrowing a little time. Somehow the hat has become collateral.

A woman in a red dress pauses beside a bookcase.

A Quiet Chapter

The book can wait one more moment. Sometimes the best part of a story is the room it leaves around you.

A pale fairy flies between dark branches and small flowers.

Woodland Flight

The woods have their own small air traffic. Most of it is late, distracted, and far too interested in the flowers.

A bird-masked figure in a red suit stands beneath a pale balloon.

The Visitor I

The visitor arrived dressed beautifully for an occasion nobody remembers arranging. The balloon is not offering any clues.

A masked figure in a mustard coat holds a red balloon.

The Visitor II

A red balloon is a perfectly reasonable thing to bring. The rest of the introduction is proving more difficult.

A long-beaked figure in a red coat stands beneath a golden balloon.

The Visitor III

He has been told this is where the celebration starts. He has not yet been told what they are celebrating.

A blue-coated figure with a pale beak looks across a dark sky.

The Visitor IV

The visitor has waited long enough to become part of the weather. You might still invite him in.

A framed doorway opens onto a straight path through a green forest.

The Door Between

Some doors separate rooms. This one has lost patience with the house entirely.

A pale face and red apple sit beneath a round opening filled with clouds.

Beyond the Apple

The apple is keeping a secret. The sky behind it seems to be in on the joke.

A wide-eyed figure in a red winter hat sits beside a decorated tree.

December Guest

There is always one guest who takes the holidays a little too literally. This year, the tree has noticed.

A suited figure with a mechanical head sits before a plate at a table.

An Unusual Thanksgiving

The family has gathered, the table is set, and somebody has brought their entire inner machinery to dinner.

A pink flower grows from the open head of a suited figure.

Something Growing

For once, the thought taking up all the room is growing toward the light. Best not to interrupt it.

A split red heart rises above hands and watchful eyes.

The Shape of Love

The heart has never been especially good at staying in one piece. That has not stopped it reaching.

A wide-eyed face looks up at an eye-shaped opening in a star-filled sky.

Judged by the Stars

It was comforting to think the universe was watching. Less so once it started paying attention.

Two hands lift pale cloth against a pink and blue evening sky.

The Sky Beneath

The sky has come loose at the hem. Hold it carefully; there may be another evening underneath.