We’ve had a few wood-themed posts here of late, but the work of Italian artist Livio De Marchi is in a class all its own. He’s worked with many materials, but has settled on wood now, making everything from lifelike clothing (remarkable to look at, really) to the the reason you see him here today — life-sized cars.

The nice thing about wood is that it floats. A native Venetian, De Marchi has used his talent and considerable skills to create a few replica cars out of wood that are also powered, allowing him to cruise the canals in inimitable style, much to the delight of onlookers. Hemmings has shots of several of his works, and for a full sampling, De Marchi’s Virtual Museum has you covered.

Follow the jump for a video of De Marchi out and about in the Ferrari F50 shown above. Some of you may have seen it already. There are probably many of you who haven’t. Either way, it’s enjoyable to watch. The man’s a real character, clearly loves what he does, and does it superbly well. In addition to the F50, he’s built a 300SL Gullwing, a VW Beetle, a Fiat Topolino, and a ‘37 Jaguar. Do yourselves a favor and follow the links to check ‘em all out.

[Source: Livio De Marchi via Hemmings]