About me

Thank you for visiting my on-line portfolio.
My name is Brian Kramer and for the past forty plus years I have been on a journey of discovery within the Blues and roots music. This has led me across the globe and in incredible situations as a musician, playing alongside or collaborating with many of my idols and artists I admire. (you can learn more at www.kramerblues.com)
With the pandemic outbreak in 2019, like so many others I found myself in an unimaginable situation; I suddenly couldn’t travel and play my Blues for a live audience. Everything stopped.
My first talent was drawing and as a young man I attended the High School of Art & Design in New York. About a month into the pandemic, a fan of my music who was aware I also drew, asked me to create an illustration for him.
Drawing that first picture somehow reconnected me to a sensation that I had not experienced in a long time and it was a very pleasant distraction from the endless uncertainty of the moment.
So I started to draw again, every day, for ten to twelve hours.
What I was being denied through playing my Blues, I determined to capture in renderings of iconic musicians I was influenced by, admired, and had the privilege to know and play alongside. I went back to my love of line-art and art deco composition ethics from the 20’s and 30’s, black, white and grey tones mainly.
Every line and curve had to capture the essence of these artists and their deep connection to the music with the simplicity of the Blues that took me a lifetime to find my own voice in.
Social media allowed me a platform to freely share this process and development through this time with my fan base, and then somehow other people who I greatly admire in the Blues field began to respond favorably to the illustrations.
For me, I just needed to fulfill this creative connection and lose myself in the art, as I have with the music. But somehow I found myself again as well.
I have since been asked to create album covers, illustrate books and covers, been published in various magazines as well as t-shirt designs for some notable musicians.
This portfolio is a selection of favorite pieces from the over eight hundred illustrations I have created between 2019 and now.
The process is the same, I start with the sun up every morning; pencil and paper, coffee and the inspiration to make the music jump off the page as if they were right before you and to bring a renewed light to these legendary, iconic artists that will hopefully make you look at them again and see something deeper.
I am available to create something unique for you, if you give me the privilege.

Many originals of my works are available as well as high quality signed prints. Just send me a message below if you have any inquiries. 

You can view all available illustrations on my Facebook Blues Art page

As well as the prestigious The Country Blues website that features a fantastic selection of my Blues Art and a wonderful article by author and TCB publisher Frank Matheis.