personal project

For a long time I've wanted to go through some old sketches and create a newer, modified version of it. I've never really felt like I had the time, but now that summer break is here, other than a few classes, I'll be able to finally focus on this little personal project.

My freshman year of college I was working the lights and sound for a stage show about Elizabeth Bathory and while I was in the booth in between working the equipment, I was sketching the first picture you see. It's definitely not my best work, but this was a little over 6 years ago and you can't see very well in a dimly lit sound booth. I stumbled onto it a couple days ago and decided this would be the first sketch I would redo.

It's nice seeing my improvement over the years and that was my motivation and inspiration to start this project. I plan on posting more in the future!

Mindy Barks

Mindy Barks

a little more from me

I have a folder in my apartment that contains somewhere around 150+ sketches, some as old as 2004, but I don't think anyone would want to sit through a slideshow that long and I absolutely do not want to make a slideshow that long :) 

So here is a small handful of sketches from me, dated from 2007-2015

I definitely feel like I've improved over the years, and there are several drawings that I would like to revisit and redo. I hope to do that in the future sometime soon.

Enjoy!


All images are original artwork and photos by Mindy Barks

the ink evangelist

Johanna Basford

Johanna Basford

Johanna Basford is a Scottish illustrator who uses pens and pencils to create stunning black and white artwork. She has also created a best-selling adult coloring book, "Secret Garden" that is filled page to page with beautiful art.

More about the coloring book can be found here.

Johanna Basford

Johanna Basford

Johanna Basford

I encourage you to visit her website and check out more of her stunning work!

healing through art

"Art Therapy is a mental health profession in which clients, facilitated by the Art Therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem."

The Expressive Arts Therapy Program at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin helps patients and their families express their emotions through art. The program goes beyond arts and crafts and into the imagination for creative stimulation, communication and coping. 

To learn more about art therapy, visit http://www.arttherapy.org/

"When words fail us, art speaks."

collaboration with a 4-year-old

This is a bit of an old story that circulated on the internet about 2 years ago, but I couldn't resist talking about it in my blog.

Mica Angela Hendricks is an amazing artist, and on her blog busy mockingbird she tells the story of how she ended up collaborating with her daughter on a lot of the artwork she did:

“I was going to draw a body on this lady’s face,” I said.  “Well, I will do it,” she said very focused, and grabbed the pen."

"Not surprisingly, I LOVED what she drew.  I had drawn a woman’s face, and she had turned her into a dinosaur-woman.  It was beautiful, it was carefree, and for as much as I don’t like to share, I LOVED what she had created.  Flipping through my sketchbook, I found another doodle of a face I had not yet finished.  She drew a body on it, too, and I was enthralled.  It was such a beautiful combination of my style and hers.  And she LOVED being a part of it."

Below are a few examples of the art she has done with her daughter-they're incredibly beautiful and child-like, I can't get enough of these pictures!

Mica Angela Hendricks

Mica Angela Hendricks

Mica Angela Hendricks

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