Today: we’re paying tribute to the Queen, investigating a mysterious 500 year old margin doodle, and sharing some trending art strategies you can check out at home!

Art News: The Art of Being Queen Elizabeth II

Yesterday, on September 8, the world received the news that Queen Elizabeth II passed away in Balmoral, her Scotland home. She was 96 years old. Queen Elizabeth was the longest ruling monarch in British history. However, she was more than that. Since her coronation in 1953, Queen Elizabeth has become a beloved icon, a symbol for the British anthem of “Keep Calm and Carry On,” (and the Western World’s unofficial fancy grandma).  In her long lifetime, Queen Elizabeth also made a lasting impact on the art world.

Queen Elizabeth was “one of the most recognisable and also one of the most painted figures of her era or any other, depicted by some of the most interesting artists of the day from Pietro Annigoni in 1955 to Lucian Freud in 2001 and by photographers ranging from Cecil Beaton to Annie Leibovitz.” (The Art Newspaper )

This article from Culture Trip shares some of the most iconic portraits of the Queen, painted by some of the past century’s most noteworthy artists, in a huge variety of art styles that reflect the Queen’s face alongside the world’s changing times.

Cecil Beaton: Queen Elizabeth II on her Coronation Day (1953)

The many portraits of the Queen, in their wide variety of  art styles, represent more than just the woman behind them. These portraits show us how the world has changed over the generations of Queen Elizabeth’s reign.  Through the span of her rule, these portraits reveal how the Queen has been a fixed point by which society views itself.

Over the 7 decades of her monarchy, the face of Elizabeth II became iconic: a visible image of stability, calm, and grit during uncertain times. Through her role as Queen, she made herself a symbol, a living art form. History – and art history- will remember her long and steadfast reign. Rest in peace, Queen Elizabeth II.

Chris Levine: The Lightness of Being (2014)

Read more about Queen Elizabeth II’s life and her relationship with art from the articles below:

The Art Newsletter: Remembering Queen Elizabeth II, the British Sovereign Who Perfected the Fine Art of Monarchy

The Culture Trip: Portraits of Queen Elizabeth that Everyone Should See

Trending Art: Fun & Easy Self-Portrait Trick

Speaking of portraits, we have a trending self-portrait art challenge for our young (or older) artists to try at home.

This TikTok shows artists who are a little intimidated by the self-portrait a fun and easy way to create a beautiful and vivid one. Yes, it involves some tracing. (But don’t call that cheating!) Instead, this challenge is a great way to learn about facial planes, combining contrasting colors, and shading/highlighting on the face. Try this art trick at home for yourself! It’s an awesome one for all ages and levels.

@sparketh

To enter this art contest, you must be 18 or younger! Winner will receive $100 valued in art prizes- join the Sparketh Community if you haven’t yet and would like to enter! #artcontest #selfportrait #myart #arttok #drawingtutorial #howtodraw #artforbeginners

♬ original sound – Sparketh

Serious question: What DO you define as cheating in art, by the way? (Beyond stealing someone’s work and calling it yours, of course.) Is there even such a thing? Pop your thoughts in the comments!

Latest Art News: Michelangelo in the Margins?

I don’t know if any of you are guilty of this, but I was a big-time notebook (and text book) doodler all the way through college. And hey, research says that doodling in class can actually help improve memory and focus, so no shame!

This week, the art world has been captivated by a very special 15th century margin doodle (shown below) found in a copy of Dante’s Divine Comedy.

Why? According to art scholar James Hall, the figure that was sketched there (500 + years ago) is none other than Michelangelo!

In this upcoming book, The Artist’s Studio: A Cultural History, Hall explores his evidence for this further, writing:  “The sculptor, hitherto unrecognised, can only be Michelangelo during or shortly after his triumphant achievement carving the David (1501-4).”

Hall goes on to state that the artist of the doodle wasn’t just sketching Michelangelo as he worked on David, but making a commentary as well.  The sketch is right next to the section in Divine Comedy where Dante decides to take the “high path to Hell.”

Could this be a prelude to a modern day meme?

The artist’s studio: a cultural history, James Hall, Thames & Hudson, 288pp, hb

Not only is this an insightful discovery to make about a master (and work) that we are familiar with, but it presents a fascinating mystery, too! I don’t know about you, but my brain is buzzing with questions:

• Who was this mysterious margin doodler?
• How did he (or she) know Michelangelo?
• What inside scoop did the doodler hold on the sculpture process of David? 

What do you think, Art Club readers??? Write me a story about the Mysterious Margin Doodler in the comments!

Creativity Resource: Painting Along in VR

Do you have an artistic kid that constantly loves to practice, but maybe you’re running out of storage space for the practice pieces? (Or maybe you can relate to that yourself.)  Do you have a Quest 2 or PCVR?

If yes, and yes, you’ll LOVE this.

Vermillion is an oil painting simulator designed for VR! It’s available on Quest 2 and PCVR. It is SO INCREDIBLY RELAXING, and it’s also a great way to practice painting techniques. You can blend your own colors and apply different levels of pressure to impact the textures. You can even paint alongside your Web browser, giving you access to your favorite online art classes, or Youtube or TikTok tutorials. Yes, that means you can paint absolutely all the “happy little trees,” your heart desires. You can even make a print of your best work.

Try it the next time someone in your house is stressed out! I promise it will help!

Learn more about Vermillion via their Website, here.

What’s your favorite way to be creative? Sometimes people undermine creativity activities or the arts, but you and I (and Albert Einstein) know that creativity is a very special form of intelligence–one that deserves our time, interest and appreciation! More than that: it’s fun! As you head into a new week ahead, I’m wishing you moments to celebrate creativity and all of the amazing joy it brings to your life!

The post The Art of Being Queen, A Mystery Margin Doodler, and Painting in VR! appeared first on Sparketh.

Today: we’re sharing NASA’s current art contest, discussing an FBI art case that Indiana Jones would love, and ogling at an 800 pound hunk of butter art.

Featured Art Contest: NASA Art Contest for Kids Age 4 -12

Art and science have a lot more in common than many people may think. Both involve testing theories, exploring curiosity, and making constant innovations. In recent years, NASA (you’ve probably heard of them) has been making an effort to engage the next generation of creative minds. And of course, that includes your artistically-minded kids and students!

Right now and through October 27, NASA is hosting an art contest for kids, age 4 – 12!  Students can take inspiration from 4 main topics:

• Rockets and Spacecraft
• Living and Working in Space
• Exploring the Solar System
• Astronauts

There are three separate submission categories for the contest (based on age of the child submitting), and each category will have a 1st and 2nd place prize.  The winning artwork will be featured in a NASA calendar! You can find out more about contest rules and submission guidelines in the link below.

NASA Art Contest Rules and Submissions

Art News: The Case of the Mysterious Medusa Mosaic!

It sounds like a Nancy Drew novel, or maybe an Indiana Jones movie,  but it’s current news in the art world! The FBI recently discovered an ancient Italian mosaic which has been missing for decades.  The 2oo-pound mosaic of Medusa was discovered in a Los Angeles storage building, where the FBI determined it has been concealed since the 1980s!  No one knows how the owner of the storage unit obtained the mosaic, although the piece last appeared in cultural property records in 1909.

The enormous mosaic piece was cut (and stored) as 16 separate pieces. When put together, it reportedly forms an image of  Medusa–the monstrous, snake-haired Gorgon of ancient mythology.

Special agents Elizabeth Rivas and Allen Grove worked to investigate the mosaic and return it to its place of origin. They collaborated with Italian officials to return the fragile artifact to Rome, where it will be studied and carefully restored.

According to special agent Grove (via CNN): “The mosaic was handcrafted from an age where people put an amazing amount of care and effort into it. It really speaks to the ingenuity and creativity of the time,” Grove said. “It’s not meant to be in Los Angeles. The mosaic belongs to the people of Rome. It allows us to understand a bit about the history of humans 2,000 years ago.”

One day, maybe we’ll see a photo of the fully restored mosaic art. Maybe we’ll even discover more about it’s cultural significance to Rome!

As for me and my mystery-loving brain… I want to know about the mosaic’s lost years!

Why was it in a storage unit in L.A.?

What was the owner planning to do with 16 heavy puzzles pieces of an ancient artifact?

What adventures did this work of art experience in its approximately 100 years of being “lost?”

What do you think, readers?

Trending Art: Butter Sculpture. Would you try it?

Did you know that butter sculpting is a thing? While you may not hear about it much, it’s actually a long-held tradition, dating back to ancient Tibetan Buddhist culture. Here in the United States, you’ll mainly find butter sculptures at state fairs, where they’ve been a more recent(ish) tradition held over the last 150 years. Last week, the below sculpture was presented at The Great New York State Fair. The piece is in response to the theme: “Refuel Her Greatness – Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Title IX.” It was sculpted over a period of 10 days by Jim Victor and Marie Pelton and is made out of 800 pounds of butter. 800 pounds!

Behold it below. The process is pretty amazing to watch!

The sculpture celebrates female athletes, showing a progression of differently aged girls and women competing in physical challenges. Sadly, now that the exhibition is over, all of that butter will be melted down. Because you can’t eat just butter that has been an art exhibit, it will be recycled by a methane converter and recycled into renewable energy.

Here’s my creative challenge to you, readers. The next time you are at the grocery store, buy a block of butter and some large potatoes. Practice butter sculpting on a mini-scale, and then recycle your art directly onto that potato. You honestly have nothing to lose from this.

Viral: Artistic Tributes to Queen Elizabeth II Flood the Interweb.

Last Thursday, Queen Elizabeth II passed away at her Balmoral home. In last week’s blog, I discussed her legacy on the art world in the past century. In the past week, however, that legacy has only continued to grow. Why? The world continues to honor the monarch’s legacy with some amazingly creative works of art content on social media. The following Youtube Shorts, each paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, were viral this week. Each of them show astounding amounts creativity and talent.

Which one is your favorite?

https://youtube.com/shorts/fexFuS1QKhQ?feature=share

That’s a wrap on this week’s latest in creative content, readers! We hope you’ll join us again next Friday for the latest creative challenges, art content, and art news! As you go about your life this week, remember: you can be creative in everything (and anything) you do!

The post NASA Art Contest, A Creative Case for the FBI, and 800 Pounds of Butter! appeared first on Sparketh.