Our world has become so fast-paced these days. Most of the daily activities we used to engage in now have shortened versions, abbreviations of their former selves that save us time but disconnect us from the actual activities. One artist is getting back to a slower type of life by engaging in one of the most painstaking, slowest types of art he could find: miniature pencil carvings.

(images via: The Modern Artist)

Dalton Ghetti is a carpenter by trade, but he has loved carving since he was a small child. He began with tree bark and experimented with plenty of materials before finally settling on pencils. The graphite is easy to work with since it has no grain, but it allows for a large measure of interest for the artist due to its small size and delicate nature.

(images via: The Modern Artist)

Ghetti’s intricate carvings can take him weeks, months or even years to complete. But the artist is not worried about how many moments of his life that he spends sharpening pencils. These moments are almost like meditation for the man who takes life a little more slowly than the rest of us.

(images via: The Modern Artist)

The tiny and detailed carvings are created without the benefit of a magnifying glass. Ghetti uses sewing needles, razor blades and No. 2 or carpenter’s pencils to slowly carve out intricate shapes and scenes.

(images via: The Modern Artist)

Originally from Brazil but now residing in Connecticut, Dalton Ghetti uses his training as an architect and carpenter to inform his artistic process. While he does sometimes slip up and break a pencil, even these “failures” are beautiful to look at.

(images via: Dalton M. Ghetti)

Although there is plenty of interest in Ghetti’s carvings, he does not sell his pencil art. Fans do have a chance to own a bit of his work as he sells posters and postcards of his completed pieces, but don’t expect him to autograph your poster with the pen you have in your pocket; he is so dedicated to his material that he insists on signing his name in pencil.