About Stickman

Trevor “Stickman” Stickel specializes in pop-realism paintings that capture the myth and grit of music. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, to a family rooted in the cattle business, he found his own way through album art and guitar solos. One look at Kiss: Destroyer and one listen to Mötley Crüe’s “Shout at the Devil” was enough—he was hooked. Music didn’t just influence his art, it became the language he paints in.

Stickman’s work lives in a world where technical precision meets raw emotion. He doesn’t mimic photographs or play into caricature. Instead, he works entirely freehand, capturing the electricity of his subjects with each brushstroke. His paintings don’t just look like rock stars—they feel like them.

Inspired by Krüger, Fairey, and Banksy, Stickman blends hyper-realism with romantic chaos, using pop and street art to give his subjects—Keith Richards, Bowie, Iggy Pop—the same energy they bring to a stage.

Stickman’s work is exhibited around the world, with gallery representation across Canada and the United States, and as a Park West Gallery VIP artist. 

About the Art

THE MISSION

The idea or "mission" behind Stickman’s artwork is to create an artistic tribute to the music, musicians and icons that have had a tremendous impact on him and many others. Historically, these tributes would have been limited to photos/posters. Stickman aims to create a style of art that brings these iconic figures and songs back into our lives in a unique way through fine art.

THE CONCEPT

The concept of Stickman’s work is to combine realism, pop-art, impressionism and other disciplines of art to express the feelings and emotions of the subject or musical inspiration. This approach allows him to explore the artistic side of these pieces, while paying additional homage to some of his favorite visual artists.

THE SYMBOL

In addition to the art itself, Stickman also adds (and quite often hides)
his trademarked Stickman symbol (stick figure with devil horns). The Stickman symbol is derived from Stickman’s last name (Stickel) and a common phrase he hears from viewers, "I can't even draw a stick man". The horns represent rock and roll (his primary inspiration), which is generally regarded as the devil’s music, and references the duality of man (good vs evil).

THE TITLE

The title of each piece is often overlooked but may very well be the most important piece of the puzzle. Stickman looks for a lyric that he believes personifies the subject or his feeling toward that subject, and then strives to create an image and feeling that takes the viewer to that emotional state of mind. The titles are always a lyric from the song of inspiration, but rarely the title of a song. If the viewer is a fan of the song, they should almost hear the lyric or feel the emotion of the lyric when looking at the piece. Knowing the title completes the emotional connection to the painting.