The Man Behind the Brush

Rob Hendon is a painter and designer known for his vivid and abstract depictions of guitars and Music City. Drawing inspiration from his wide-ranging career in the music industry, Hendon works to capture both the vibrancy of Nashville’s live music scene and the poetry of songwriting through his unique techniques, tools, thick and rich paints, textures, and glossy finishes. 

Born in 1966 in North Canton, Ohio, Hendon had always demonstrated a love for paint, color, and form. He often found himself doodling in class, his sketches often consisting of references to radio station logos and band names. Hendon found an interest in the exploration and experimentation of materials and surfaces early on that remains present in his work today. The artist’s youth also revolved around music and instruments. Both in listening and in playing, music was Hendon’s primary form of expression at this time. 

In August of 1985, Hendon moved to Nashville, TN. to get his BA in Speech Communication and a minor in Psychology at David Lipscomb University and a minor in Music Business at Belmont University. Upon graduating in 1989, Rob landed a full-time position with Capitol Records, where he worked in A&R. Hendon continued working in the music world and held several executive positions on Nashville’s Music Row, but his involvement in the musical arts soon encouraged him to revisit his old love for painting. As an outdoor enthusiast, Hendon initially found joy in painting plein air and capturing the expressive colors and movements of fields of flowers, but his greatest excitement and success came when he began to paint his beloved guitars. Hendon has a great appreciation and obsession with any and everything in the realm of guitars and guitar playing. Being a collector himself, many of his paintings were modeled after his his very own collection of Les Paul guitars, and when a client connected him with the late Les Paul, Hendon found his career coming full circle with many acclaimed music artists commissioning him to paint their own beloved guitars. Soon having a Hendon original painting of your guitar became the industry’s symbol that you’ve finally made it. Record labels, publishing companies and studios would mark significant career achievements such as an album launch, going platinum or award recognitions with a custom Hendon painting. 

Rob Hendon’s name became synonymous with guitars in both the art and the music world as well-known artists such as Brad Paisley, Charlies Daniels, Dierks Bentley, The Doors, Eli Young Band, Eric Church, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Keith Urban, Phil Vassar, Steve Miller, and the late Les Paul all added original Hendon guitar paintings to their collections. In addition to those private collections, his work can also be seen in Bridgestone Arena, Warner Brothers Records, Warner Brothers Studios Nashville, Sony Records, Sony Music Publishing, Oceanway Studios, Big Machine Records, BMI Nashville, BMI New York, SESAC, VACO, Billboard Magazine, and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Alongside painting, Hendon’s work has ventured into painting installation and design, having had painting the public guitar sculpture honoring Roy Orbison, the album cover art for Luke Combs, promotion design for various Nashville-based artists, and a Les Paul guitar painting installation at the iconic Gibson headquarters, formerly housed in Downtown Nashville. 

As his guitar paintings became synonymous with Music City, his work has spread to all fifty states and ten countries, such as France, Italy, and Australia. Hendon’s work has become to stand as iconic to “Nashville as the Blue Dogs are to New Orleans.” He was chosen to create a piece for the set of the Emmy Award winning series, Nashville, on ABC. After the series seven-year run, the painting was requested to be housed in the Tennessee Governor’s Mansion in Nashville by Governor Bill Lee. In addition to this place of honor, his work is also displayed in the Tennessee State Museum, Paramount Pictures, EA Games, the Cowboy Hall of Fame, a Presidential collection, the World Trade Center, and the home of Gold Medal Olympian, Scott Hamilton. Hendon is also the official artist for the Nashville Grand Prix and the SESAC Awards.

Hendon’s strongly held values and love for his community have led to his involvement with several local and national charities. Over the years, he has lent his talents and support to such notable charities as Adaptive Sports Center, the ALS Association, Best Buddies, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, Folds of Honor, the Journey Home Project, Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Mother to Mother Inc., Nashville Rescue Mission, Project Heart, Ryan Seacrest Foundation, Scott Hamilton Cares, the Second Harvest Food Bank, St. Jude, T.J. Martell Foundation, Tough Enough To Wear Pink, and the W.O. Smith Music School.

As Hendon’s art career has surpassed two decades, his guitar paintings have become as recognizable as such Music City icons as the Batman Building, Manuel Suits, and Prince’s Hot Chicken.