the sistine chapel

If I could see any piece of famous artwork in person, it would be the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.

Photo: wikipedia.org

The Sistine Chapel is a papal chapel built within Vatican City. Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling-it took him 4 years to complete the work, from 1508 to 1512. 

"The Creation of Adam"
Photo: wikipedia.org

"The Creation of Adam" is probably the most well known piece on the ceiling, but Michelangelo actually created multiple artworks that were part of the grand design of the chapel.

Photo: wikipedia.org

Photo: wikipedia.org

These photos can only begin to show the time and detailed work that went into the Sistine Chapel ceiling. It is by far one of my favorite works of art and one that I would absolutely love to see in person!

bizarre art facts you may not know

Auguste Rodin, a French sculptor born in 1840, created a statue called "The Age of Bronze" that was so realistic it caused people to actually believe he sacrificed a real person inside the cast.

Photo: cantorfoundation.org

Vincent Van Gogh had a history of mental illness, and shortly after the breakdown that caused him to cut off his own ear, he was admitted into Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, a psychiatric hospital in Saint-Rémy. This is where he created his most notable and famous painting, "Starry Night".

Photo: vangoghgallery.com

Salvador Dali's famous "Persistence of Memory" painting was inspired by melted cheese Dali noticed after a dinner party that was held at his home.

Photo: wikiart.org

Before Mary Barnes became a well-known English artist, she was a patient in Kingsley Hall, a mental health center for schizophrenics. During therapy she was encouraged to regress to a child-like state, during which she began painting the walls with her feces. They gave her paint to use instead, and this lead to the discovery that she was quite a talented painter.

Photo: wikipedia.org

a few of my favorites

These are just a few sketches I've done in the past that are some of my favorites.

I'm incredibly critical of myself, but sometimes I come across a few older sketches that I'm actually pretty proud of.

I'm hoping to get to Michael's or Hobby Lobby sometime soon to restock supplies and get back into doing more art, it's been a while since I've really sat down and sketched.

Art and Photo: Mindy Barks

Art and Photo: Mindy Barks

Art and Photo: Mindy Barks

"the joy of painting" with bob ross

Bob Ross was an American painter who was able to create these pretty amazing paintings within a half hour TV show, and he did it effortlessly.

I used to watch his show ALL the time.

It came on every Sunday morning, and was the best way to start the day.
At least for me it was.
I wasn't like most children.

Anyway, if you have a few minutes, I encourage you to check out a little bit of what he does, it's quite impressive.

art is good for the brain!

Found this article from the Wall Street Journal, thought it was an interesting read :)

http://www.wsj.com/articles/our-brains-are-made-for-enjoying-art-1402958948

in the beginning.

I started sketching when I was 3-years-old. My dad, when he would get home from work, would sit in his recliner at the end of the day, pull out his sketchbook and start drawing. As a child I would always try to recreate what he drew (which wasn't always the best idea. I found a picture of a nude woman that he had sketched and I recreated that drawing on my grandmother's chalkboard when I was a little kid. That was a phone call my parents were not expecting).

In grade school, I sketched in class so much that it started to become a distraction and my teachers asked my mom to make sure I didn't bring my sketchbook to school. Every morning after that, my mom had to do a backpack check, and I was not too happy about it.

Luckily for me, there was nothing they could do if I wanted to draw on my homework :)

I practiced sketching a lot growing up. I had days where I could sit and draw for hours on end, then there were times when I could go months without opening my sketchbook. I'm the same way today. Even still, I can see my skills improving all the time.

I'm nowhere near what I would consider a "professional" artist to be, but that doesn't matter. It's something that relaxes me and something I enjoy, and it saddens me that so many people decide not to draw, or paint, or even sculpt, because they don't think they're good at it. Practice makes perfect, but even if your aspirations don't include becoming a professional artist, I urge everyone to pick up a pencil and give it a go :)

Photo from The Fresh Hues Blog

websites to check out.

There are a few websites that I visit frequently. Not just for inspiration, but it's nice to look at some of the art other people have done.

http://www.deviantart.com/

I go to this one often. It's a website that allows anyone to showcase the art they've done. What I love about it is that you have a wide range of artists on here, from beginners to professionals. It's just a place everyone can share their work. It's a free website if anyone is interested in signing up, it only costs money if you want to upgrade to the premium account. You can view the art with or without an account, but I highly suggest checking this one out.

https://www.amybrownart.com/

Amy Brown is one of my favorite artists. My parents bought me one of her art books when I was about 12 years-old and I looked through it so much the binding started to tear.

http://www.elfwood.com/

If you haven't noticed by now, I love fantasy and science fiction art. This one is very similar to Deviant Art, but another website that I visit frequently.

http://www.art.com/

This website is more for those people looking to buy artwork rather than post their art, but still a great website to check out :)

a little bit about me.

Hello! My name is Mindy and I'm currently a returning student at Washburn University working on my second major in Mass Media: Public Relations. I graduated with my first Bachelor's degree in May 2013 in Communication. I grew up in a small town, and have taken part in debate, forensics, band and theatre throughout my educational career. 

I've been sketching since I was 3-years-old. The ability to do art is something that I couldn't live without. I don't see myself as a professional in any sense of the word, this is just something I enjoy doing in my spare time to relax. My goal with this blog isn't just to show some of the art I've done, but I want to get people excited about art and want to explore it and learn more about it. You don't have to have a degree in art to appreciate and enjoy it, and that's what I'm hoping to get across with this blog :)

Artwork and photo by: Mindy Barks