“I wanted the fans to see what I see when we’re onstage — music and art as one,” Wood says. “My hope is the Stones fans can feel the music when they look at these paintings”

The Rolling Stones took the past year off from the road to spend time working with producer Andrew Watt on a follow-up to 2023’s Hackney Diamonds, and to oversee the extensive reissue of their 1976 LP, Black and Blue. The downtime happened to coincide with Ronnie Wood’s 50th anniversary as an official Stone. To commemorate the occasion, Wood created portraits showcasing the members of the band, including the late Charlie Watts, that he’s dubbed the Paint It Black series. Limited-edition prints are available on Wood’s website, and they can be seen in person at the Redhouse Originals Gallery in Harrogate, England.

Wood has been creating visual art since early childhood, before he even picked up a guitar. “For me, my love of music and art go hand in hand and spur on each other,” Wood tells Rolling Stone. “When I’m standing onstage playing guitar and I close my eyes, I imagine new paintings. When I’m painting, I paint to music.”

He’s created lush visual landscapes over the years in addition to portraits of icons like Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and John Lydon. But much of his work has focused on his bandmates in the Stones. He creates color visualizations of all their set lists (available here) and has drawn Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and himself in countless ways.

“Out of Control”

The new works in the Paint It Black series were created from memory. “I wanted to capture the energy of Mick, Keith, me, our late friend Charlie, and the thousands of live shows we’ve been so lucky to play together,” he says. “I wanted the fans to see what I see when we’re onstage — music and art as one … My hope is the Stones fans can feel the music when they look at these paintings.”

“Tight Section”

Creating the painting of Watts was emotionally overwhelming, he adds. “I was shell-shocked when we lost Charlie,” Wood says. “He was the heart of the Stones. He meant so much to all of us, and I couldn’t have paid tribute to the band’s journey together in these portraits without painting him. The last time I saw Charlie, we watched the horse racing on TV, and it was just like it had always been. He was staying in the same London hospital room I’d been in a year earlier. We call it the Stones suite. One thing I’ll never forget is Charlie telling us to carry on touring because he didn’t want to see our crew out of work. He even let us know he wanted Steve Jordan to carry the flag for him. Charlie was the very best, and it was a total joy to play with him.”

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“Doctor”

Their history goes back to 1975, when Wood beat out heavy competition to become the new guitarist in the Stones after spending time in bands including Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. “It’s hard to believe I’ve been a Rolling Stone for 50 years,” he says. “What a joy. I was already chuffed with the bands I’d played in before ’75. But joining the Stones — that felt like coming home. I still get a kick out of being a Stone, and it keeps me out of trouble — sometimes.”