Ronnie Wood will always be remembered as an excellent musician, but he is fast gaining a reputation as a skilled artist. We all know his work as a Guitarist/Songwriter with The Rolling Stones. Rod Stewart and The Faces, but it is a little-known fact that he was drawing and painting before he held his first guitar. From April 1-10, visitors to the J Gallery Shanghai will get the chance to view his latest exhibition, “Art of Stones.”

Before embarking on his musical career Wood received his formal art training at Ealing Collage of Art in London. As his musical career progressed, so did his passion for art, but it was not until the 1980’s that he held his first exhibition. In 1987 (after experimenting with printing), he was invited to spend several months working in a professional printmaking studio in England, which helped him to progress as an artist. Since then printing has become another important aspect of his work and he uses numerous techniques, such as etching, dry-point  and screen-print.

The subjects for his art range from band members and musicians he admired, or new or played with, to family and close friends, as well as self-portraits. Wood is as comfortable with a pencil as with a guitar. The most unique aspect of this dual talents is that they not only run parallel, but are completely intergrated in their expression. His art flows with rhythm and melody while his music provokes color and imagery.