10 ATHLETES YOU DIDN'T KNOW WERE ACCOMPLISHED ARTIST

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.