Creating Rock n Roll Threads has been a labor of love!
Raised among the cornfields of rural Iowa, I discovered an instinct for hyper-realistic graphite portraiture at age nine. Self-taught and relentless, I became obsessed with the raw power and attitude of Rock ’n’ Roll icons, honing my craft early and winning national art competitions by fifth grade. That obsession with precision and soul became the backbone of a career defined by technical mastery and creative fearlessness.
At 19, I earned a Gold Medal in the National Skill Olympics for advanced airbrushing—presented by President Ronald Reagan himself, who challenged me to commit to excellence for life. In 1987, I landed in Hollywood with $27 and, within 16 hours, was hired on the spot by legendary director Wayne Isham at The Company. That moment ignited a 32-year run at the heart of music and pop culture.
As a young Midwest punk with talent to burn, I worked directly with icons including Michael Jackson, KISS, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Sade, Sammy Hagar, and many more. As an Art Director, I created over 4,400 album covers, film posters, and advertising campaigns across the music, film, and consumer worlds, building a reputation for bold visuals, speed, and uncompromising quality. Annual travel throughout Asia further expanded my artistic voice and perspective.
In 2016, I relocated to Santa Rosa, California, where I became a Senior Graphic Designer for one of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies. Concurrently, I opened a highly successful gallery, placing my celebrity portraiture with collectors worldwide. In 2023, I moved my gallery and studio to my family’s 300-acre ranch in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. With a renewed sense of purpose, I am producing some of the strongest work of my life and expanding my global collector base.
In 2026, I will release three books: Legends in Graphite – The Beatles, featuring 64 drawings of the Legends in Graphite–the Fab Four showcasing 52 Rock ’n’ Roll icons of the 1960s; and Dying to Live, a powerful account of my near-death experience that redefined my mission as an artist.
Live to create. Create to live.
Praise from a legend
In thirty years as an international art dealer, I’ve had the good fortune to get up close
and personal with the work of many of our country’s great portraitists and illustrators.
From Wyeth to Rockwell to Warhol, these gifted artists have left a beloved gallery of
images that capture our American culture and the notable figures that have shaped it.
Although J.D. Emmerson follows in this rich tradition, his vision of the iconic figures
of our time is never derivative, always surprising, and uniquely his own. Although his
craftsmanship and enormous technical skill is clearly evident in everything he does,
what sets his work apart from that of others who explore this genre is the deep insight
he brings to the character of his famous subjects. It might seem impossible to find
something new to say about Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles or Marilyn Monroe, but
somehow Emmerson’s work performs this happy miracle.
Obviously, the artist has drawn on his decades of work in the entertainment industry to
become comfortably at home in the rarefied air he explores. He shares this familiarity
with us and, by doing so, invites us to leave the back row seats where we are worshiping
from afar and to join him with a backstage pass. These are portraits by someone who
knows his subjects and the world they inhabit.
While Emmerson’s work can rightly be called photo-realistic for the accuracy of his
draftsmanship, his bold palette and unusual perspective incorporate an abstract
expressionist sensibility that animates his scenes with an almost musical sense of visual
rhythm. This is art with soul and it is, simply, joyful to experience.
Jim Tulip, International Art Dealer
Member of:
The Society of Illustrators
The Airbrush Society
The Portrait Society of America
Education:
AAA degree – Hawkeye Institute of Technology, Waterloo, Iowa.
BFA degree – Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri.
Gold Medal winner in the USA Skill Olympics – 1984 – Presented by President Ronald Reagan
Exhibits:
ENIGMA Gallery – Los Angeles, CA – 2014 – solo show ‘POP’
ENIGMA Gallery – Los Angeles, CA – 2015 – solo show ‘Legends in Graphite’
Fulton Crossing Gallery – Fulton, CA – 2016 – Solo show ‘Synchronicity’
Fulton Crossing Gallery – Fulton, CA – 2018 – Solo show ‘Fab Four’
Simmer Art Wall – Rohnert Park, CA – 2020 – 2023 – Solo Exhibit
Toppings Art Wall – Santa Rosa, CA – 2021 – 2023 – Solo Exhibit
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Tulsa, OK – 2022 – Eric Clapton portrait on permanent display
OLI Art Gallery – Guernville, California – 2023 – group show
OLI Art Gallery – Guernville, California – 2023 – ‘Rosie the Riveter’ group show
Music Hall of Fame – Muskogee, Oklahoma – 2024 – The Tulsa Sound ‘Leon Russell’ on permanent display
Music Hall of Fame – Muskogee, Oklahoma – 2024 – Merle Haggard on permanent display