Hollywood stars Pierce Brosnan, Sharon Stone, Johnny Depp and Jim Carrey have taken to painting as another form of self-expression. Their medium of preference ranges from watercolour to oil paint and acrylic. Here’s a look at five such celebrities who have sought the release of their creative energy through the painting brush and the colour palette in the tinsel town.
Painting isn’t just a pandemic hobby for Pierce Brosnan. The actor began his painting journey as a young boy in Ireland but left his painting brushes and canvases locked in the cupboard after he became a global sensation with TV series Remington Steele (1982-1987). He returned to art only when his first wife, Cassandra Harris, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The James Bond star has produced over 300 artworks and recently shared them with fans through an exhibition in Los Angeles titled So Many Dreams.
Painting, for Sharon Stone, is all about conversing with colours and that’s why she spends almost 17 hours a day in her studio. The Basic Instinct actress learnt painting from her aunt and studied art for a short time at Edinboro University before landing a career in Hollywood. Of late, she has completely dedicated herself to painting and is currently hosting an exhibition titled My Eternal Failure.
When he is not waving his sword as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp takes up the painting brush with elan. He prefers vibrant hues reminiscent of modern pop and street art. His first formal art auction in 2022 featured four portraits of Bob Dylan, Elizabeth Taylor, Al Pacino and Keith Richards at London’s Castle Fine Art gallery. “I’ve always used art to express my feelings and to reflect on those who matter most to me. My paintings surround my life, but I kept them to myself and limited myself. No one should ever limit themselves,” the actor said in a recent statement.
Hollywood veteran Val Kilmer has been honing his art, no matter the medium, for over half a century. After being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, the actor realised that his voice was completely damaged. “When one thing is taken, though, another is given. With little voice, my creative juices were boiling over and pouring out of me. I started creating again, painting, writing anything I could. I felt the art healing me,” he wrote on his official website. Kilmer’s abstract prints and other artworks are displayed in exhibitions across the US as well as on the blockchain. Along with his business partner Ali Alborzi, the Top Gun actor ventured into NFTs with Kamp Kilmer — touted as “a sacred space for creative alike to come and explore NFTs and many other forms of art”.
Jim Carrey has several faces. Some of us know him from The Truman Show or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, while most have grown up seeing him as the Grinch. When he is not involved in his acting projects, Carrey can be found in his New York art studio. His works, which have turned out to be more emotive in his later years, include cartoons, political drawings, abstract prints, figurines and sculptures.“So-called reality is energy and colour creating forms that rise out of nothing,” he wrote on his website.
