Donald Roller Wilson was born in Houston, Texas in 1938 and was educated at Wichita State University. He is known for using items in his paintings such as dogs and cats, chimpanzees, dill pickles, wooden matches, olives, asparagus stalks and even cigarettes. He paints in oils in very polished realism, using the same techniques of the Old Masters. Wilson taught at the University of Arkansas from 1967–74 and lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with his wife Kathleen, also an artist.
According to the New York Times, "Donald Roller Wilson's goofy, hallucinogenic, Old Master-style painting of monkeys, dogs and cats dressed up in antique costumes may be kitsch, but it's high-quality kitsch, like good beach reading." Some of the characters he has created include Cookie the Baby Orangutan, Jane the Pug Girl, Jack the Jack Russell “Terror,” Loretta the Actress Cat, Miss Dog America and Patricia the Seeing Eye Dog of Houston. Wilson's works can be seen in the Brooklyn Museum; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Whitney Museum; Bank of America in San Francisco, California; Coe Kerr Gallery, New York City; and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, as well as many other galleries. The majority of his work is in the hands of private collectors. He created album cover art for musician Frank Zappa during the 1980s and 1990s. Among these: Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger (1984), Francesco Zappa (1984) and Them Or Us (1984). His main gallery at present is the John Berggruen Gallery in San Francisco, and his paintings may be collected through Peter Sahlman in New York.
"Dangerous" Contemporary Surreal Hyper Realistic Phallus and Tomato Painting
By Donald Roller Wilson
Located in Houston, TX
Hyper realistic surreal painting by Texas born artist Donald Roller Wilson. The work features a phallus with a single cigarette and a trio or tomato slices floating overhead. Signed ...
Oil, Canvas
$2,500
H 11 in W 14 in
"The Embrace" (2015) By John Tarantola, Original Nude Oil Portrait Painting
Located in Denver, CO
John Tarantola's original nude portrait "The Embrace" (2015) is a beautiful surrealist oil on panel painting that depicts an athletic nude male figure embracing the bright silhouette...
Oil, Panel
Girl in a Chair, Large Painting by Bill Wiman
By Bill Wiman
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Bill Wiman, American (1940 - ) Title: Girl in a Chair Year: 1978 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed Size: 82 x 83.5 in. (182.88 x 212.09 cm) Frame: 83 x 84.5 inches
Oil, Canvas
$1,400
H 8 in W 10 in
"Reclining Man" (2015) By John Tarantola, Surrealist Nude Portrait Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
John Tarantola's original nude portrait "Reclining Man" (2015) is a beautiful surrealist oil on panel painting that depicts a young man lying in the nude, against a surreal scene of ...
Oil, Panel
$7,000Sale Price|20% Off
H 38 in W 32 in D 2 in
Antique American Modernist Period Male Nude Surrealist Masterpiece Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Amazing early American surrealist nude male portrait landscape. Painted by Charles W St Clair. Oil on board. Framed. Image size, 24L x 30H. Super detailed and rare!
Canvas, Oil
$2,000
H 11 in W 14 in
"Pieta" (2021) By John Tarantola, Surrealistic Nude Portrait Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
John Tarantola's original nude portrait "Pieta" (2021) is a beautiful surrealist oil on panel painting that depicts two young athletic male figures atop a red cloth in vast desert du...
Oil, Panel
$716
H 31 in W 26.5 in
Large framed French Vintage Still life oil painting of flower vases and a statue
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Large and unusual mid-century French vintage oil painting on hardboard signed in the lower left and in an attractive vintage frame. This post impressionist oil painting is cleverly ...
Oil
$2,500
H 11 in W 25.5 in
"Holding Back the Moon" (ca. 2018) By John Tarantola, Nude Portrait Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
John Tarantola's original nude portrait "Holding Back the Moon" (ca. 2018) is a beautiful surrealist oil on panel painting that depicts an athletic nude young male figure, with his a...
Oil, Panel
Antique Pin-up Gil Baer French Surrealist Nude Woman Puppet Show
By Gil Baer
Located in New York, NY
Soo Funny! Gil Baer (1859-1931) is the artist of this beautiful, humorous painting. This is a surrealist illustration painting of a nude woman behind...
Canvas, Oil
Green Androgyne
Located in Indianapolis, IN
Signed with initials A.K. lower right. Surrealist, green, androgenous deity in complimentary warm toned forest. Reminiscent symbolically of Green Tara, a significant female Buddha fi...
Canvas, Oil
$2,500
H 10 in W 18 in
"Islands" (ca. 2014) By John Tarantola, Surrealistic Nude Portrait Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
John Tarantola's original nude portrait "Islands" (2014) is a beautiful surrealist oil on panel painting that depicts a nude male figure, lying in death in a desolate desert. Another...
Oil, Panel
$1,250
H 40 in W 48 in D 2 in
Carlos Alpizar "Mujer Enamor" Original Surreal Oil Painting C.2000
Located in San Francisco, CA
Carlos Alpizar "Mujer Enamor" Original Surreal Oil Painting C.2000 Woman in Love Original oil on canvas. Signed lower right. Canvas dimensions 46.5" wide x 38.5" high The frame m...
Canvas, Oil
$45,928Sale Price|20% Off
H 25.6 in W 36.23 in D 0.79 in
Morning glory. Surrealistic artwork. Oil on canvas, 65x92 cm
By Leonid Purygin
Located in Riga, LV
Bizarre scene of Lady in bed dreaming socially diverse erotic activities.
Canvas, Oil
She Didn’t Like It
By Donald Roller Wilson
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Dated: 1987/55 Signed and dated upper edge Provenance: The artist Coe Kerr Gallery, New York Wright Gallery, New York Private collection, New York (Purchased from above, 1995) This...
Canvas, Oil, Wood Panel
Sold
H 33.5 in W 29.5 in D 1 in
A RITE OF PASSAGE NAUGHTY BETTY…SEEN HERE ALONG WITH HER HALF-SISTER, JUDY…
By Donald Roller Wilson
Located in San Francisco, CA
Donald Roller Wilson A RITE OF PASSAGE NAUGHTY BETTY…SEEN HERE ALONG WITH HER HALF-SISTER, JUDY… BOTH GIRLS BEING OBSERVED POSTERIORLY BY THE FATHER…WATCHING WITH EXAGGERATED DISINTE...
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 37.5 in W 35.5 in D 2.5 in
PATRICIA’S STRUGGLE TO GET TO THE PIANO DURING THE HIGH WINDS WHICH WHIPPED UP..
By Donald Roller Wilson
Located in San Francisco, CA
Donald Roller Wilson PATRICIA’S STRUGGLE TO GET TO THE PIANO DURING THE HIGH WINDS WHICH WHIPPED UP IN MRS. JENKINS’ HALLWAY: AND JUST PRIOR TO THE PERFORMANCE OF HER PIECE FOR PIEC...
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 24.5 in W 21.5 in D 2.625 in
The Seldom Seen Joanne: Naughty Betty and Mort
By Donald Roller Wilson
Located in San Francisco, CA
Oil on canvas in artist's frame 18 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches Framed: 24 1/2 x 21 1/2 x 2 5/8 inches
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 23 in W 18 in D 3 in
Holly Saw the Primary Colors Being Tossed into the Air
By Donald Roller Wilson
Located in San Francisco, CA
Oil on canvas in artist's frame 14 x 10 inches Framed: 23 x 18 x 3 inches
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 11.75 in W 13.25 in D 1.5 in
“Space Friends: Barn Trip” Modern Hyperrealist Cow & Olives Surrealist Painting
By Donald Roller Wilson
Located in Houston, TX
Modern hyperrealist painting of a cow surrounded by floating olives by Texas artist Donald Roller Wilson. The work is hung in a hexagonal frame, adding an additional layer of interest. Signed and dated along front lower margin. Artist Biography: Donald Roller Wilson (born November 23, 1938) is an American artist. He is known for using items in his paintings, such as dogs and cats, chimpanzees, dill pickles, wooden matches, olives, asparagus stalks, and even cigarettes. He paints in oils in very polished realism using the same techniques of the old masters. He was born in Houston, Texas and educated at Wichita State University. He taught at the University of Arkansas from 1967 - 1974 and lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with his wife Kathleen, also an artist. According to the New York Times, "Donald Roller Wilson's goofy, hallucinogenic, old master-style painting of monkeys...
Oil
Sold
H 18 in W 16 in
Abstract Surrealist Contemporary Still Life With Wooden Matches
By Donald Roller Wilson
Located in Houston, TX
Surrealist still life separated on four different panels and one canvas. The center panel has an eye in the middle with a match and an organic mass. On either is unlit matches. Two panels and a canvas frame the top of the piece. The canvas has an organic mass positioned in the center. On either side of the panels is a writing utensil forming a line. The work is incased in a lucite box. It is signed and dated by the artist on the large panel. Artist Biography: Donald Roller Wilson (born November 23, 1938) is an American artist. He is known for using items in his paintings, such as dogs and cats, chimpanzees, dill pickles, wooden matches, olives, asparagus stalks, and even cigarettes. He paints in oils in very polished realism using the same techniques of the old masters. He was born in Houston, Texas and educated at Wichita State University. He taught at the University of Arkansas from 1967 - 1974 and lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with his wife Kathleen, also an artist. According to the New York Times, "Donald Roller Wilson's goofy, hallucinogenic, old master-style painting of monkeys...
Acrylic
GOOSE FREIGHT: MOTHER-IN-LAW: HARD BALLS
By Donald Roller Wilson
Located in San Francisco, CA
COOKIE
By Donald Roller Wilson
Located in San Francisco, CA
Kathleen, Convinced and Encouraged Through Faith
By Donald Roller Wilson
Located in San Francisco, CA
Oil, Canvas