Artist of the Day, April 2, 2026 : Will Wilson, an American painter, illustrator (#2516)

Will Wilson (1957) is an American artist known for portrait paintings, illustrations and Trompe L'Oeil works. His works are held in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.

Wilson attended the Schuler School of Fine Arts, in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, from 1975 to 1979. He currently lives and works in San Francisco, California.

An illustration by Wilson was featured as the cover art on Michael Jackson album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix released in 1997.

In June 2008, former Maryland governor Bob Ehrlich Jr. unveiled his official portrait painted by Will Wilson. The two were childhood friends in Baltimore, Maryland. A portrait of Reynolds Price painted by Wilson is held in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

© 2026. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Will Wilson or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only

Will Wilson

Rehearsal, 1979

Afternoon Tea, 1982

The Chanteuses, 1982

 

Old skull, 1983

The Three Graces, 1983

Box of Onion, 1984

 

Costume shop, 1985

Watercolor, 1985

Self-Portrait with Animals, 1986

Self-Portrait with Barbed Wire, 1986

Sisters, 1986

Wendy Jordan, 1986

The Connoisseur, 1988

Mother Earth, 1989

Nude on High Stool, 1989

Sweet M-16, 1990

Canary Watchin, 1994

Starfish, 1996

Canary Watchin, 1997

Convexed, 2005

Apples in the Basket, 2007

Ivy, 2007

Still Life with Basket of Lemons, 2007

The Mixmasters, 2007

Carpathia, 2013 

Beach House, 2014

Dandelion, 2014

Edgar Allan Poe, 2014

The Gourmandizer, 2014

Privateers, 2021