Jimi Hendrix

What can we say about Jimi Hendrix that has not already been written, expressed or heard? As a musical artist whose influence and importance has only grown in the four decades since his passing, there should be little new. However, there is Jimi Hendrix, the graphic artist. This truly amazing psychedelic relic collection consists of over forty pencil and pen drawings of fanciful figures and designs.

Oddly, biographers report that as a young boy in school Jimi displayed special talent in art but showed no early interest in music. In the biography "Room Full of Mirrors," Charles R. Cross reports that as a third grader in 1951 Jimi would draw pictures of automobiles in his school notepads. By the time Hendrix reached twelve years old, although not a good student, he showed promise in art. Jimi's interest in drawing automobiles was so intense that he even sent some of his car designs to the Ford Motor Company.

Cross also writes that in 1957, fifteen year old Jimi Hendrix had seen Elvis leaving a concert in Seattle. He subsequently drew a picture of Elvis holding a guitar very similar to his own. As a young musician he also placed illustrations, such as drawings of his guitar, on his letters and postcards. Jimi's outlook on art took a different turn in 1965 when he met and recorded with Arthur Lee, the founder of "LOVE." This involvement helped catalyze the transformation in Jimi's style of dress and his expressions in fine art.

His US publicity agents, Bob and Kathy Levine, said that Hendrix carried sketchpads and art boards with him and was often seen drawing his vivid images. Some of his paintings appear to have begun as small doodles which he developed into intricate, highly involved pictures. Those familiar with his method say Hendrix worked with five or six watercolor pens held between the fingers of one hand, as his other hand deftly created the fascinatingly intricate designs.

Jimi's paintings represent brightly colored, fanciful figures, and inventive forms in various sizes. The smallest is about four inches and the larger are approximately eighteen inches. All are powerful, highly creative, and unique psychedelic works of art. One of the reasons Jimi's artworks are always immediate, intimate, and precise is because he was extremely nearsighted and never wore glasses.

Several things are certain about the artwork of Jimi Hendrix: his artistic endeavors were soulful expressions created from his own personal reflections; his interest in art continued throughout his short life; and Jimi always did things his own way, including his vibrant and expressive watercolor drawings. Hendrix also told of how he related colors to emotions, and that his music was an effort to play in colors.

Jimi Hendrix was born in 1942 and died at twenty seven years of age in 1970. In 1972, Bliss Van Den Heuvel, a fine art and antiquities dealer of Palm Beach, Florida, purchased a collection of Hendrix's watercolor drawings. Mr. Van Den Heuvel placed the rare works of art into storage until 2004, when he founded Hendrix Original Art Expressions Inc., which obtained copyrights to the paintings and holds rights to these images. Today, Timothy Van Den Heuvel and Thomas Ford III are owners/directors of Hendrix Original Art Expressions, Inc.

Leon Hendrix, Jimi's brother, reviewed each of the drawings in October 2006 and concluded that, in his informed judgment, each of the drawings he saw were created by Jimi Hendrix. All inquiries on licensing should be forwarded to Timothy Van Den Heuvel at timothy@theartofjimihendrix.com, (561) 685-1638.