How to Read a Stickman Painting: The Hidden Symbols Behind Trevor “Stickman” Stickel’s Rock and Roll Art
At first glance, a Trevor “Stickman” Stickel painting stops you with a face you know. Jimi Hendrix leaning over the chrome of a motorcycle. Ozzy Osbourne staring out from the canvas. Keith Richards looking every bit the rock legend. Look a little longer, though, and the painting starts to talk back. Every Stickman piece is layered with clues, and once you know where to look, you never see his art the same way again.
It started with Mick Jagger
Early in his career, Stickel split his time between two very different worlds: painting family portraits and designing artwork for helmets and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The breakthrough came while he was reading According to the Rolling Stones. He decided to combine both sides of his talent, and two weeks later he finished his first canvas portrait of Mick Jagger. He titled it “Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself,” and it introduced the world to Stickman.
Clue one: find the little horned figure
Somewhere in nearly every painting is a tiny stick figure wearing devil horns. It’s his trademarked Stickman symbol, a play on his last name and on the line he hears from so many admirers: “I can’t even draw a stick man.” The horns are a nod to rock and roll, long called the devil’s music, and to the good and evil that live in all of us. Sometimes the figure sits in plain sight. Sometimes it takes a real search to find it.
Clue two: look for “Devil Inside”
Many paintings also hide the words “Devil Inside.” The phrase speaks to the two sides of the man behind the brush: Trevor Stickel the person and Stickman the artist. When he’s deep into a portrait, he often takes on the style and attitude of the musician he’s painting, much like a method actor stepping into a role.
Clue three: check the signature
Before you walk away, look at the bottom right corner. His signature usually includes the Stickman figure dressed or posed like the subject of the painting, a playful final tribute to the icon on the canvas.
Clue four: read the title
The title may be the most important part of the piece. Each one is a lyric pulled from the musician’s own music, and never the name of the song itself. Stickman chooses the line that best captures the artist or his feelings about them, then builds the entire painting around that emotion. True fans will hear the song in their heads the moment they read it.
Clue five: study the background
The portrait itself is pure realism, but the background tells the emotional story. Stickman borrows from abstract art, expressionism, pop art, street art and surrealism, often blending several styles in a single piece. It’s his way of honoring the visual artists who inspired him while expressing what each musician means to the people who love their music.
Rock and roll history at Art Center Gallery
In October 2024, Stickman brought “STICKMAN: The High Notes,” his rock and roll visual tour, to Art Center Gallery in Mission Viejo. It’s an honor to be part of the journey of an artist whose work is now collected by music fans, celebrities and rock icons around the world.
Today, his collection at Art Center Gallery celebrates legends across rock, blues and country, including Jimi Hendrix, Ozzy Osbourne, Keith Richards, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Eddie Vedder, ZZ Top, Willie Nelson, Cheap Trick and Iron Maiden. Each piece is an invitation to go hunting for horns, hidden words and the lyric that brings it all together.
See how many clues you can find in person at Art Center Gallery in Mission Viejo, California, or explore the Stickman collection online at ShopArtCenter.com.
