Prince

I was searching for Paisley Park on an old map of Minnesota, and somehow ended up drawing this portrait. No doubt, if Minnesota had a Mount Rushmore for great artists, Prince would be right up there, next to Bob Dylan.  

Signed prints of this portrait are available here, in my Etsy shop.

Krista Weaver CD Design

 

 

I had the pleasure of designing and illustrating this CD for a fantastic signer-songwriter, Krista Weaver. The storytelling in her songs evokes a wonderful sense of place, hence, the integration of maps into the design. 

This was my first endeavor into CD design, and I learned so much from the experience. Enormous thanks to Krista for including me in this project. 

Please check out and order Krista's amazing new album here, or you can order the CD here.

Thanks for visiting!

Ian Mackaye

 

 

This musician has always been front and center in the Washington, DC punk scene. The founder of legendary bands such as Minor Threat, Fugazi, and The Evens, it’s Ian Mackaye. His integrity and DIY spirit are truly inspiring. Oh yeah, and the music kicks ass.

Signed prints of this portrait are available here (in my Etsy shop)!

Kendrick Lamar

 

This Pulitzer-Prize winning musician comes to us, straight outta Compton.

PJ Harvey

 

In this past year, I rediscovered the simple joy of listening to great albums. I’m trying to pay respect to artists who’ve helped me through this pandemic. Here’s a British singer/songwriter, who’s album, Let England Shake, is a poetic and powerful antiwar statement. PJ Harvey

Signed prints of this piece are available Here (in my Etsy shop)!

Willie Nelson

 

For some strange reason, whenever I think of Texas, Wille Nelson comes to mind. No doubt, he has legendary status as a musician, activist and weed proponent. Given these credentials, it makes sense that Texas is in a Willie Nelson state of mind.

 Prints of this piece are available here (in my Etsy shop)!

10% of proceeds from each print will be donated to Farm Aid, a charity which he founded to help farm families in need. 

 

Björk

 

Björk lives on a creative island in and of herself.

Tom Waits

It's interesting how certain musicians we discover in our youth help shape our world view. I stumbled upon one such artist as a senior in college, Tom Waits. With his entirely unique approach to songwriting, this singer effortlessly channels downtrodden characters, like hobos, carnival barkers, and junkyard dogs. His attention to those fringe dwellers in society helps to confirm the humanity in all of us. Thanks to this artist, who was born in Pomona, California, for reminding us that everyone has a good story to tell.

Signed prints of this portrait are available Here, in my Etsy shop! 

Dolly Parton

She’s larger than life, to an iconic degree. I simply couldn’t fit this portrait, in just Tennessee. Born in a one-room cabin in Appalachia, Dolly Parton would grow up to master country and bluegrass music, acting, and business. Her efforts to promote literacy, along with her support for the LBGTQ community, have shown her to be a true humanitarian.

Signed prints of this portrait are available here!

Bob Marley

In this time of social isolation, music has the power to connect us to the collective human spirit. It’s been helpful for me to listen to this artist, who’s all the way from Trenchtown, Jamaica. I you're all taking good care of yourselves!

Nick Cave

Here's a portrait of legendary Australian musician, Nick Cave. This dark poet composes some of the most melancholy music on this mortal coil, yet, the results are sublimely beautiful. This is inspired by a series called World Tour - in which I use pages from an old atlas as canvases - painting images relating to the place on each map.

Signed prints of this piece are available here!

Please visit my website to view more fun portraits.

Kurt Cobain

We lost Kurt Cobain on this day, 25 years ago, but his musical legacy will always be in bloom. Local friends, this drawing is part of a group exhibit - The Grand Floral Show - at The Farm Salon, Greig Farm, Red Hook, NY, April 6-28th. The gallery is open Fri-Sun 10-3 pm.

You can order your signed print of this portrait here!

Amy Winehouse

Heres a portrait of the brilliant singer/songwriter, Amy Winehouse, in which I utilized makeup brushes to draw. So many iconic musicians have tragically died at 27 years of age, including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison and Brian Jones. Sadly, Amy joined that club in 2011. I drew this tribute on a map of her hometown, London.  Rest in peace.

Signed prints are available here!

Yoko Ono

She’s a visual artist, singer/songwriter, and philanthropist all in one person. She steadfastly honors the legacy and vision of her late husband, John Lennon. And when it comes to waging peace, Yoko is numero Ono.

Prints of this piece are available here!

Jerry Garcia

As a band, the Grateful Dead seemed to tap their inspiration from the deepest of American wellsprings. With music that was earthy and organic, they gained a following who rewarded this authenticity with complete loyalty. As a singer and (legendary) guitar player, Jerry Garcia channelled their vision to perfection. He will always be the face of the incredible community.

Signed prints of this piece are available here.

In Bloom

I was recently looking through a book of copyright-free engravings from the 18th century, and came across a page of flowers. It got me thinking about a song, In Bloom, written by one of the voices of my generation, Kurt Cobain. More than two decades after he died, Nirvana's music is still as relevant as ever. I was compelled to draw this tribute to him.

Prints of this piece are available here.

Leonard Cohen

Enough with trade wars and tariffs. America needs more great Canadian imports, like Leonard Cohen. This legendary singer/songwriter, poet, and novelist was born and raised just outside Montreal, Quebec. We lost him last year, but this true artistic spirit's legacy lives on.

Prints of this piece are available here.

Sinead O'Connor

Here's a portrait of Irish singer, Sinead O’Connor. While drawing this piece, I kept contemplating the tragic losses of public figures, Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. Like many, I kept thinking, how can these people who seemingly have it all, choose to take their lives. There’s a saying, “You don’t know if the roof is leaking unless you’re inside the house”. It’s too bad we can’t see inside the internal landscape of anyone’s psyche. They might be stuck in a dark emotional valley, and don’t have a map for climbing out of it. It’s a good reminder to be kind to others, and stay tapped into our empathy. It might make a difference in their lives.

Prints of this portrait are available here.

India ink on a map of Ireland, 20" by 30"

Bob Dylan

He emerged from the land of ten thousand lakes, with poetry tapped from the deepest of waters. His name is Bob Dylan.

Prints of this drawing are available here.

Here's a detail of this portrait.

David Bowie

Here's my portrait of David Bowie for an upcoming exhibition of map drawings. You can view a large collection of map drawings here.

Signed prints of this piece are available here!