10 Athletes Who Paint

Athletes try out the paintbrush and easel.

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Image via Complex Original
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Artists don't always understand athletes and vice versa, but these professional athletes occasionally use painting to keep calm from their high-stress, high-pressure lives. Even if they aren't the world's most talented artists, there is really something to be said about successful people who step out of their comfort zone and try new things. Serena Williams took time to learn how to paint in Paris during her visit for the French Open. Jeremy Evans turned his portrait of himself dunking into a "dunkception" performance piece by actually dunking over it. Even athletes that don't paint still have their ways of embracing art; Tyson Chandler and Usain Bolt have both taken up photography. And Carmelo Anthony and Shaquille O'Neal are known for their art collections. However they choose to do it, it's great to see America's sports stars embracing the art world. Here is our list of 10 Athletes Who Paint.

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Brett Tomko

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Brett Tomko

Art period he belongs in: Modernism

Retired MLB pitcher Brett Tomko paints to relieve stress from his professional life. So far his subject matter has mostly been centered around sports, but there is time for him to grow. It's actually kind of inspiring how much his teammates support his artistic talent.

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Vernon Wells, Jr.

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Vernon Wells, Jr.

Art period he belongs in: Realism

Vernon Wells played for the Canadian Football League and is one of the most commissioned sports painters out there. It's hard to tell if his paintings are photographs or not because they are so hyper-realistic. You probably wouldn't find his work hanging in a gallery because he usually works directly with the athletes themselves.

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Jamie M Lynn

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Jamie M. Lynn

Art period he belongs in: Modernism

Jamie M. Lynn is world renowned snowboarder. He drew inspiration from skate legends like Neil Blender and Mark Gonzales to be the first snowboarder to create his own graphics for his board, and he has never stopped since. His work is graphic and uses very few colors at a time, which reminds of us of Picasso's Blue Period.

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Aaron Maybin

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Aaron Maybin

Art period he belongs in: Fauvism

The former Bengals linebacker is actually a dope artist. His use of violent color mirrors the work of many Fauvist painters. Fauvism is French for "wild beast," and Maybin is a tiger on the field and in the studio.

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Tommy Heinsohn

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Tommy Heinsohn

Art period he belongs in: Impressionism

This former Celtics player spends his free time painting landscapes. His dreamy brushstrokes are not unlike Manet's scenes of the sea.

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Larry Johnson

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Larry Johnson

Art period he belongs in: Pop Art

Johnson used to be a running back on the Dolphins, Redskins, Chiefs, and obviously the Bengals. Pop art embraces iconic images in pop culture, and what's more pop than American football?

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Ernie Barnes

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Ernie Barnes

Art period he belongs in: Mannerism

Barnes started playing football back in the 1960s and played for various teams including the Broncos, Colts and Chargers. After his football career, he moved on to be a successful artist, designing album covers for famous musical artists including Marvin Gaye and B.B. King. Common features of both Barnes's work and other Mannerist pieces are elongation of the human figure, clear but complex curved lines, a darker color palette, and interesting spatial relationships. In fact, Barnes is sometimes credited with being the founder of the Neo-Mannerist or Mannerist Revival movement in modern art. Sadly, Barnes passed away back in 2009, but his unique legacy in sports and art will live on.

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Todd Marinovich

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Todd Marinovich

Art period he belongs in: Expressionist

This former quarterback of the USC Trojans and the Raiders turned to painting and coaching after retirement. Expressionism is all about the colors and what emotions they invoke. His usage of vivid colors fits perfectly within this category. 

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Jeremy Evans

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Jeremy Evans

Art period he belongs in: Pop Art

This is Utah Jazz player Jeremy Evans's one and only art masterpiece. He turned the piece into a kind of performance art by painting a picture of himself dunking a basketball and then actually dunking over it.

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Serena Williams

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Serena Williams

Art period she belongs in: Impressionist

Our favorite tennis superstar recently took a painting class in Paris. Williams is no Monet, but she's got the content, colors, and sketchy technique that makes her work look almost Impressionist. She has light but varying brush strokes, uses an open composition, and plays with shadows like a true 19th century painter.

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