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Work Samples

Ray Charles

Built-Out Portrait of Ray Charles by Artist Brett Stuart Wilson
Ray Charles, R&B, Gospel (Piano & Song Writer) Blind 26" W x 36" H x 12" Deep Dimensional painting, mixed media.

Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk, Exhibit @ WTMD, Jazz (Piano & Music Writer/Composer) Hard Bop, Bebop

Nina Simone

Nina Simone. Music about Social Injustice, Love, Life & Death. (Piano & music writing) 33" W x 39" H x 11" Deep Dimensional painting, constructional portrait, mixed media.

Jimi Hendrix

Built-Out Portrait of Jimi Hendrix by Artist Brett Stuart Wilson
Jimi Hendrix, Rock, Electric guitarist, singer, and songwriter 65" H x 45" W x 14" D

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About Brett Stuart

Harford County

Brett Stuart Wilson's picture
Visual Artist, Musician, and Antique Motorcycle Enthusiast. Brett's intention is to create constructional portraits that are as unconventional as the maverick musicians he fashions. These musicians have been inspirational in all genres of Music in the past and present and he wishes to document music history by immortalizing their faces. The portraits are larger than life which is synonymous with the musicians’ huge contributions of laying down new sound. He builds his own abstract tension by... more

Unconventional Portraits of Maverick Musicians

These Unconventional Portraits are interpreted from a handful of press photographs from various angles.
Mixed Media materials used are; wood, wire, muslin, acrylic paint, paper, hemp & miscellaneous found materials.
The process starts with a wooden frame and then builds upon by layering, shifting and manipulating muslin, found objects, various materials, and acrylic paint until it finally becomes something that I am comfortable with. It is this process of movement, construction and the joining of surfaces that builds the image. Not carved, not poured, molded or pressed but layered while painting.

My objective is to address portrait painting through improvisation in the process and simultaneously capture a likeness of these iconic artists. I'm not so concerned with the profile which I think can add abstract interest. Sometimes there is bas-relief happening but that is not my first intention, I simply want the richness of depth in the face. The adjoining flat and built-out surface tensions are devoid of the formal aspects of a portrait or sculpture, allowing for some improvising which often results in nonconformity. This deviation from the rules of perfection allows for what I feel brings spontaneity to the overall composition.

  • Studio View Brett Stuart Wilson

    Brett Stuart Wilson in Studio
    Forefront: Little Walter Jacobs Center: Artist Brett Stuart Wilson Back: Bo Diddley
  • Bo Diddley

    Built-Out Portrait of Bo Diddley by Artist Brett Stuart Wilson
    Instrument: Hand Made Guitars Rock-n-Roll Innovator Known for Shave and a Haircut, two bits beat Blues, R&B, Rock-n-Roll
  • Bo Diddley

    Built-Out Portrait of Bo Diddley by Artist Brett Stuart Wilson
    Instrument: Hand Made Guitars Rock-n-Roll Innovator Known for Shave and a Haircut, two bits beat Blues, R&B, Rock-n-Roll
  • Little Walter Jacobs

    Built-Out Portrait of Little Walter Jacobs by Artist Brett Stuart Wilson
    Little Walter Jacobs Blues Innovator & Wizard of "Amplified" Harmonica 25"W x 36"H x 9 1/2" Deep
  • Little Walter Jacobs

    Built-Out Portrait of Little Walter by Artist Brett Stuart Wilson
    In low light conditions. 25"W x 36"H x 9 1/2" Deep
  • Junior Wells

    Built-Out Portrait of Junior Wells by Artist Brett Stuart Wilson
    Blues Funk, Harmonica Aficionado 35" Wide x 54" High x 13" Deep Dimensional painting, mixed media.
  • Keith Richards

    Built-Out Portrait of Keith Richards by Artist Brett Stuart Wilson
    20th & 21st Century Rock-n-Roll Guitar Maverick Rolling Stones 32" wide X 41" high X 9" deep Dimensional painting, mixed media.
  • Melancholic Elvis

    Built-Out Portrait of Elvis Presley by Artist Brett Stuart Wilson
    Helped Introduce Black Music & Dance (Wynonie Harris) to a White Audience The King, Rock-n-Roll, R&B, Gospel Built out painting construction, mixed media. 28"W x 38"H x 9"Deep
  • Ozzy Osborne

    Built-Out Portrait of Ozzy Osborne by Artist Brett Stuart Wilson
    GodFather of Heavy Metal Built out construction, painting, mixed media. 36" Wide x 42" HIGH x 9" deep
  • Johnny Cash

    Built-Out Portrait of Johnny Cash by Artist Brett Stuart Wilson
    Country Music Icon, Singer/Songwriter w/ Guitar, Rockabilly, Blues, Folk & Gospel 27 1/2" wide X 35" high X 10 1/2" deep Dimensional painting, mixed media.

Rock-n-Roll-and-ART never dies....

One of the oldest forms of art is the portrait.

One of the oldest ways to alleviate pain is music.

Both bring Joy.

Filling the walls with color and history.  A reminder that Rock-n-Roll and Art never dies... it's just reinvented!

Mavericks of Music

Dimensional Paintings.
Mixed Media; wood, wire, muslin, miscellaneous found materials and acrylic paint.

It is my intention that the colors and irregularities capture the power and intensity of the music itself.
I would like to demonstrate that portrait painting is not always a prudent image but can also be seen as a history of ideas that stem from expressionist painters, California Funk art, and assemblage artists of the 50s.

It is equally important for me to document some of the biggest musical influences into an unconventional portrait. It is my hope that even if the audience doesn't know who they are looking at, the image will be interesting enough in presence that they will inquire about the musician and their music.

These pieces are meant to be viewed in all lighting conditions. It is an added benefit, that under low light conditions of the evening these paintings come to life in their full potential, revealing the electrifying drama of stage lights and dimly lit nightclub funk.

Featured in California's ArtNois magazine
http://issuu.com/artnois/docs/artnois8/17?e=5387340/5821334

  • Thelonious Monk

    26" W x 38" H x 10" Deep Dimensional painting, mixed media.
  • Hell-Hounds

    Robert Jonson, Blues Guitar, 31"W x 41"H x 12" Deep Dimensional painting, mixed media.
  • Johnny Rotten

    32" W x 35" H x 9" Deep Dimensional painting, constructional portrait, mixed media.
  • Jerry Lee Lewis with SE shadow

    2 1/2 dimensional mixed media 31"W x 36"H x 10" Deep
  • Patti Smith

    31"W x 33" H x 9" Deep Dimensional painting, mixed media.
  • Nina Simone

    Nina Simone
  • Ray Charles

    Built-Out Portrait of Ray Charles by Artist Brett Stuart Wilson
    Ray Charles, R&B, Gospel (Piano & Song Writer) Blind 26" W x 36" H x 12" Deep Dimensional painting, mixed media.

Larger than Life Icons

Mixed Media Constructional Portraits demonstrating my earlier work that leans more towards a caricature image. These portraits are more raw or loose with bumpier surface but less surface tension between depth & flatness.

Black, White and the Blues

Tidbits of the past. Decades of playing the blues while making Engravings/Aquatint and Mezzotint Etchings prints on my studio press.
Although many of the prints have been sold without documentation, this is a small representation of several series of prints and a small clip of my contribution to the Baltimore Blues scene over the last 30 years.
The Mezzotint Series, the ground is applied by hand with a serrated tool on a Copper Plate, different levels of ink provide a full range of grays and blacks.
The Criminal Series was portrait etchings on zinc plates to get continuous tones of grays and black, pressed onto Reeves BFK paper.
The Dream Series is also Etching/Aquatint designed to be interpreted based on the psychology of dreams.
Music of the Jumpin Hailstones, Featured Vocals & Blues Harmonica of Brett Stuart Wilson

  • Night at Madame Tussauds

    Etching, Aquatint by Brett Stuart Wilson
    B&W with Color Etching/Aquatint, created on Zinc Plate. date 1971 36" X 20"
  • I Wish You Would, Harmonica & Vocals by Brett Stuart Wilson

    From the years of playing the blues, demonstration of my harmonica licks. Song from Jumping' Hailstones, 2000. Brett Wilson on Harmonica & Vocals, Matt Coffman on Guitar, Brian Badger on Bass, Dale Mauck on Drums, Mixed & Engineered by Dave Nachodsky
  • "Off The Wall" Harmonica & Vocals by Brett Stuart Wilson

    From the years of playing the blues, demonstration of my harmonica licks. Song from Jumping' Hailstones, 2000. Brett Wilson on Harmonica & Vocals, Matt Coffman on Guitar, Brian Badger on Bass, Dale Mauck on Drums, Mixed & Engineered by Dave Nachodsky
  • "Rockin" Harmonica & Vocals by Brett Stuart Wilson

    From the years of playing the blues, demonstration of my harmonica licks. Song from Jumping' Hailstones, 2000. Brett Wilson on Harmonica & Vocals, Matt Coffman on Guitar, Brian Badger on Bass, Dale Mauck on Drums, Mixed & Engineered by Dave Nachodsky
  • The Shirelles

    Shirelles by Brett Stuart Wilson @ Sascha's 527
    1984 Over the Bar @ Sascha's 527 3' x 8'
  • Anderson Gallery, Richmond VA

    Anderson Gallery "Thrilla in Manilla" 7' X 7' X 9" "Thinking" 7' X 7' X 8"
  • 1938 Indian Chief

    Mezzotint Indian Motorcycle by Brett Stuart Wilson
    '38 Indian Chief engine is an example of the vast range of grey tones, velvety blacks and incisive lines of the Mezzotint prints. date 1999
  • Leopold and Loeb

    From the Criminal Series. The Trial of the infameous Leopold & Loeb. Print is 36" x 20" etched on 4 different zinc plates. Etching/Aquatint
  • Puffed Up

    Self Portrait Etching Aquatint by Brett Stuart Wilson
    Self Portrait Date 1972 Etching/Aquatint on Zinc Plates. 20" X 27"