The Internet Has Fallen In Love with a Stag Beetle Named Spike
Spike the Beetle is already a Twitter sensation, and now he's selling his paintings online.
Beneath Spike the Beetle’s shiny exoskeleton beats the tiny heart of an equally tiny artist.
Well, actually, stag beetles don’t have hearts. But if there’s one thing this stag beetle does have, it’s talent.
Spike the Beetle is a six month old black stag beetle who, according to an FAQ posted on his Twitter account, likes bananas and lives in Japan with his owner, Mandy.
Spike’s Twitter feed consists primarily of pictures him lifting large objects with his mandibles, spending time perched on his owner, or in the midst of the creative process. It is a beautiful thing to watch him clutch a marker and let his vision dance across the canvas.
His Instagram, on the other hand, focuses more on the artwork. Spike is either in the act of creating art or contemplating his oeuvre (standing on or near a marker or miniature canvas) in five of the eight posts on the account so far.
Though his personal Twitter and Instagram accounts are both less than a week old, Spike has already amassed a loyal fanbase. A few users illustrated Spike, while others bid in an eBay auction for a piece of his artwork. As of now, there are more than 40 bids on “Spike the stag beetle’s first commercial work,” and with more than a week left that number is likely to increase dramatically.
It’s a good thing he found painting, because his original attempts at hobbies didn’t go well.
He even has fan art!
According to his account, 15% of the proceeds from that auction will go towards “stag conservation.” He’s also hard at work making custom buttons.
A creative AND a philanthropist? Step aside, J. Paul Getty. Spike is remaking the art world in his insectile image.
