Vesna Mitrovi? is a Communication major, a Philosophy minor and a member of the Serbian Student Organization at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Aside from being a college student, Vesna spends her time fulfilling another role: being an artist.
Vesna appreciates all forms of art, but focuses on sketching very realistic drawings, otherwise known as photorealism. She prefers creating objective drawings of scenery and landscapes, but also engages in subjective drawing. Her primary medium is pencil for creating black and white drawings. However, when working on scenery or landscape drawings, she uses colored pencils, watercolor, acrylic and/or oil.
Drawing has always been an integral part of Vesna’s life. Her mother even saved the first picture she drew when she was four years old. “I am always doodling, no matter if I am in a waiting room at the dentist or at home on the phone with a friend,” said Vesna.
Although art comes naturally to her, she still found it very beneficial to take classes in high school and college to strengthen her ability. According to Vesna, “Art skills and creativity are embedded in my genes. Most of my family members on my mother’s side are skilled artists.”
Vesna is very particular when it comes to her art. She will not draw under artificial lighting, during bad weather, or if she is in a bad mood. “If I can devote at least four hours on a certain day and open my windows wide to get as much natural light as possible, then I know it’s a good day to draw,” she explained.
Vesna is interested in a variety of art, frequently visiting art galleries, reading art and fashion blogs, and admiring the street art in Chicago. She also enjoys handicraft, such as creating jewelry, and photography. She has an extensive collection of photo albums filled with her own photos from her travels to a variety of countries.
She considers Leonardo da Vinci, Edgar Degas and Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, as her inspirations, but finds lesser-known artists that she encounters in her everyday life just as inspiring. Her motto is “Art is never finished, only abandoned,” as said by da Vinci.
Although she sells personal and requested drawings, Vesna will not pursue this as her primary job. However, she hopes to incorporate her passion and talent in her career, whether it is in marketing, advertising or design. “I want to go into a field where my artistic abilities are highly appreciated,” said Vesna.
More of Vesna’s artwork can be found on her website at www.vesnamitrovicart.webs.com/.