Rock Stars Who Paint: Accomplished Painters of Rock

Talent upon talent. Check out the creative minds of rock stars who paint. These are all accomplished painters on top of their rock careers.

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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Some of the biggest rock stars are also accomplished painters. Rock stars who paint make up a larger group than you might think. We're not talking about a side hobby. We're talking real-deal art. Long before he became a rock icon, Ronnie Wood studied art in London. Paul McCartney turned to painting as a form of therapy and self-expression after The Beatles broke up. KISS frontman Paul Stanley's paintings feature bright splashes of color, abstract figures, and emotional themes. Stevie Nicks has been a lifelong visual artist, creating drawings, handwritten lyric art, and mixed-media pieces. John Mellencamp's paintings have been displayed at respected museums, while David Bowie and Bob Dylan have also been creating visual art for decades.

Why it matters

These rock stars who paint prove that real creativity doesn't clock out. Whether it's Ronnie Wood sketching backstage, Mellencamp painting late at night, or Paul Stanley splashing color across a canvas, these musicians demonstrate that rock and roll is more than music - it's a mindset. Their need to express themselves manifests in many ways, with one part of their creativity resting while another side of that creative energy flow is expressed.

The details

Long before he became a rock icon, Ronnie Wood studied art in London. He's known for bold, expressive portraits of fellow musicians, including Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, and Mick Jagger. His work has been displayed in major galleries around the world, and he sells limited-edition canvases and prints that run into thousands of dollars. Paul McCartney turned to painting as a form of therapy and self-expression after The Beatles broke up, working mostly in bold, colorful, abstract, and impressionistic styles. KISS frontman Paul Stanley's paintings feature bright splashes of color, abstract figures, and emotional themes, with a style that is loud, colorful, and unapologetically bold, just like his stage persona. Stevie Nicks has been a lifelong visual artist, creating drawings, handwritten lyric art, and mixed-media pieces inspired by fantasy, poetry, and personal experiences. John Mellencamp's paintings, influenced by German expressionism, have been displayed at the Butler Institute of American Art and other respected museums. David Bowie and Bob Dylan have also been creating visual art for decades, with Bowie's artwork often featuring portraits, abstract figures, and surreal imagery influenced by German Expressionism and modern European art, and Dylan creating paintings, sketches, and large metal sculptures.

  • Long before he became a rock icon, Ronnie Wood studied art in London.
  • After The Beatles broke up, Paul McCartney turned to painting as a form of therapy and self-expression.

The players

Ronnie Wood

A rock icon known for bold, expressive portraits of fellow musicians, including Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, and Mick Jagger. His work has been displayed in major galleries around the world, and he sells limited-edition canvases and prints that run into thousands of dollars.

Paul McCartney

A legendary musician who turned to painting as a form of therapy and self-expression after The Beatles broke up, working mostly in bold, colorful, abstract, and impressionistic styles.

Paul Stanley

The KISS frontman is a serious painter with a style that is loud, colorful, and unapologetically bold, just like his stage persona. His paintings feature bright splashes of color, abstract figures, and emotional themes.

Stevie Nicks

The mystical heart of Fleetwood Mac has been a lifelong visual artist, creating drawings, handwritten lyric art, and mixed-media pieces inspired by fantasy, poetry, and personal experiences.

John Mellencamp

The Indiana-born rocker is a serious painter influenced by German expressionism, with his work often focusing on faces and social themes. His paintings have been displayed at the Butler Institute of American Art and other respected museums.

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What they’re saying

“I only draw angels. I started to draw when my best friend got Leukemia.”

— Stevie Nicks (inherownwords.com)

“My art is about 'emotion and freedom,' not perfection.”

— Paul Stanley (Wentworth Gallery)

The takeaway

These rock stars who paint rest one part of their creativity while expressing another side of that creative energy flow, proving that real creativity doesn't clock out. Whether it's Ronnie Wood sketching backstage, Mellencamp painting late at night, or Paul Stanley splashing color across a canvas, these musicians demonstrate that rock and roll is more than music - it's a mindset.