Former METALLICA Bassist JASON NEWSTED Unveils His First Mural

Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted, who took up painting after leaving the legendary heavy metal band, unveiled a new, one-of-a-kind mural on the wall of a Florida restaurant. The unique art at Evo in Tequesta is his first mural.

"I love this local gem of a restaurant and couldn't think of a better place or time than Evo's 11th anniversary to debut this special art piece," Newsted said prior to the unveiling in April.

Newsted, who lives lives in nearby Jupiter, told InFlorida.com that his wall art is "a manifestation of those who lived here before us." The mural, which which extends 22 feet in width and 12 feet in height, is an ode to the Native American tribes that once inhabited the Atlantic Coast of Palm Beach County, namely the Ais, Tekesta, Calusa, Jaega, Jobe, and Jaece tribes.

A photo of Newsted with the mural can be seen at InFlorida.com.

Jason began painting in 2005, after a series of shoulder injuries and subsequent surgeries left him unable to play his instrument. The work began as a hobby, and it wasn't until a year later that he considered showcasing the results.

"I started out figuring out what techniques would allow me to draw and paint while my arm was in a sling, so I threw things at the canvas using a spatula, with one hand," Newsted told SF Weekly in a 2010 interview. "It was purposeful. I wanted each piece to mean something, and I wanted to paint a picture each day, as a reflection of what I was living and breathing at that time. The mentality was the same as my approach to writing music."

Newsted had an exhibition in San Francisco in 2010 and some of his paintings now go for tens of thousands of dollars. "Most of my work is abstract, mixed-media," he said in a 2013 interview. "Giant pictures about five by ten feet; plastic and acrylic. I also do some sculpture. I have eight or nine hundred pieces since 2004 and have studios in three different cities across the country. Some of my pieces go for maybe $150 for a little picture and some are $40,000 for a giant one. So there's something for everyone." Newsted says he's very influenced by Basquiat, Jean Dubuffet and Picasso. "Those guys are my BLACK SABBATH, MOTÖRHEAD and RUSH of painting," he said.