HE may be one of the most influential singer-songwriters of his generation – but in recent years Bob Dylan has traded in his guitar for a palette and easel. Henry Holloway reports BOB Dylan penned cross-generational anthems such as Like a Rolling Stone and The Times They Are a-Changing, but he is also a well-respected painter in his own right.

Transcending his musical roots, his latest work is The Brazil Series and the collection now on show at Castle Fine Art in The Lanes – chronicling his adventures in South America.

The 73-year-old singer’s art first rose hit the walls of galleries with his Drawn Blank Series in 2007 showcasing more than 200 of his watercolours.

The musician’s latest collection celebrates Brazil’s infamous favelas and bustling markets – steering away from nation’s famous skylines and popular beaches.

Valerie Kay, senior fine art consultant from Castle Fine Art, said: “’The Brazil Series is an interesting and exciting departure from The Drawn Blank Series, and really does capture Bob Dylan’s strength as an artist first and foremost.

“He paints the unexpected and elusive, elevating an image from a scene viewed as a passing glance or stolen moment to an enduring work of art.

“It really is an honour to have his work on display at the gallery for people to enjoy.”

Dylan has said The Brazil Series captures his “fascination with the country” and is based on what he saw while travelling off the beaten track between his schedule of rehearsals and concerts on his so-called Never Ending Tour.

A spokesman for Castle Galleries said: “In an overarching sense, The Brazil Series is contextually relevant to understand both Bob Dylan’s roots as an artist, and his vision for how he would like his portfolio to develop.

“Here we see an artist who looks beyond the prosaic, ever searching for an angle, a point of difference, the unexpected and elusive, to elevate an image from a scene viewed as a passing glance or stolen moment, to an enduring work of art.

“Therein lies the skill of Bob Dylan as an artist; he sees beyond the colours, shadows and forms of the world around him, he views the very fibres and grains of every object, person and setting, and is able to translate this perception accordingly to suffuse his art with the texture for which he has become renowned.”

The Brazil Series is on display at Castle Fine Art in Nile Street until May 30.