Who Knew? Dept.: Keith Richards… Painter?

Photo via The New Zealand Herald.

A painting made by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has surfaced in New Zealand, according to a report in The New Zealand Herald.

Richards painted it at a bed and breakfast while recuperating from an injury sustained in 2006 after falling out of a tree in Fiji. The paper says experts believe the painting to be worth several hundred thousand dollars.

He gave the painting to Gloria Poupard-Walbridge, owner of Cotter House, as a gift when he was leaving.

The painting — watercolor and pastels — has been in a drawer beneath some linen for the past seven years. Richards signed the painting with a thick black marker, and Poupard-Walbridge says that ruined it.

“It was a pretty good picture until he signed it with a felt pen and stuffed it up,” she told The New Zealand Herald.

News of the painting came to light after the Stones announced they would play a show at Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday April 5, 2014.

The New Zealand Herald describes the painting like this: “Painted over several days on a $3.95 canvas and a small table easel, the delicate pastel and watercolour depicts a water scene at sunset, with a steamship at full throttle. Seagulls soar above the ship, the smoke effect created by careful artistic smudging.”

No skull and crossbones, Keith?

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About Michael Goldberg

Michael Goldberg is a distinguished pioneer in the online music space; Newsweek magazine called him an ‘Internet visionary.’ In 1994 he founded Addicted To Noise (ATN), the highly influential music web site. He was a senior vice-president and editor in chief at SonicNet from March 1997 through May 2000. In 1997, Addicted To Noise won Webby awards for best music site in 1998 and 1999, and also won Yahoo Internet Life! awards for three years running as best music site in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Prior to starting Addicted To Noise, Goldberg was an editor and senior writer at Rolling Stone magazine for 10 years. His writing has also appeared in Wired, Esquire, Vibe, Details, Downbeat, NME and numerous other publications. Michael has had three novels published that comprise the "Freak Scene Dream trilogy": "True Love Scars," "The Flowers Lied" and "Untitled" which can be ordered here. His new book, "Wicked Game: The True Story of Guitarist James Calvin Wilsey," can be pre-ordered from HoZac Books. In November Backbeat Books will publish "Addicted To Noise: The Music Writings of Michael Goldberg," which can be be pre-ordered here.

1 thought on “Who Knew? Dept.: Keith Richards… Painter?

  1. Well, Keith Richards! today Dec 18, you are another year older and you haven’t changed a bit. That’s great because you are perfect just the way you are and Rolling Stones alway Best. Happy Birthday.

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