Adding The Blue

‘I always thought I would get into painting, but I got waylaid by rock ’n’ roll. Finally, I thought, “Now’s the time.” As soon as I was in a situation where I could be alone and paint without any interruptions, I just couldn’t stop.’ – Chrissie Hynde

‘These paintings wake me up, show me life, make me want to get up and do something.’ – Brian Eno

‘The fact that Chrissie is a great musician underpins her painting in a variety of ways... She learns by doing and in the process her work becomes more distinctive and compelling, an expression of the life force within made visible.’ – Tim Marlow, Royal Academy of Arts

In November 2015, Chrissie Hynde, the singer, songwriter and leader of The Pretenders, produced an oil painting of a ceramic vase. Fulfilling an intention that she would, one day, dedicate herself to painting, it would prove to be the starting point for Hynde’s first body of work, nearly ­­200 canvases in all. These paintings are shared for the first time in Adding The Blue.

With Forewords by visionary musician and artist, Brian Eno, and The Royal Academy’s artistic Director, Tim Marlow, Adding The Blue is captioned throughout with Chrissie Hynde’s thoughts and reflections. 

Beginning with still life studies and culminating in vibrant abstract compositions, Chrissie Hynde’s Adding The Blue is a beautiful volume of paintings that are, in Eno’s words, ‘full of life, love and discovery’.

Chrissie Hynde is best known as the singer, songwriter and leader of The Pretenders, formed in 1978.

The groundbreaking debut album, Pretenders, introduced a union of punk and New Wave that drew inspiration from bands including The Kinks and The Who, and nine Pretenders albums have followed. In 2014, Chrissie Hynde released her first solo album, Stockholm.

Chrissie Hynde has collaborated with a wide variety of legendary musicians, including Neil Young and, most recently, Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys.